The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted high-profile raids at the Jagannathpur residence of Soumya Shankar Chakra, popularly known as Raja Chakra, in Keonjhar, Odisha, on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
The operation, which also targeted his transport office, Dibyanshi Associate, on Mining Road, is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering linked to the Shuakati Gandhamardan Loading Agency.
Chakra, the vice-president of Biju Yuva Janata Dal and currently incarcerated in Balasore jail, has been under scrutiny for financial irregularities involving crores of rupees. The ED’s actions follow earlier investigations by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which arrested Chakra in March 2025 after his anticipatory bail expired.
The EOW had previously detained Manas Ranjan Barik and Utkal Das, former president and secretary of the loading agency, on February 9, 2025, for their alleged roles in the scandal. The agency’s probe revealed significant financial mismanagement, leading to the seizure of multiple luxury vehicles, motorcycles, trucks, and loaders belonging to Chakra. His Gopalpur farmhouse had also been searched multiple times by various agencies.
The Thursday raid marks the first time the ED has directly targeted Chakra’s residence and business premises. The Dibyanshi Associate office was sealed as part of the operation, with authorities combing through documents and assets for evidence of illicit financial transactions.
The case has drawn significant attention due to Chakra’s political affiliations and the scale of the alleged financial misconduct. Local authorities have remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the raid, but sources indicate that the ED is focusing on tracing the flow of funds through the loading agency and related entities.
The investigation is expected to intensify as more details emerge about the extent of the alleged money laundering network.
