The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch has arrested BJD leader Soumyashankar Chakra, also known as Raja, in connection with a multi-crore financial fraud linked to the Gandhamardan Loading Agency and Transporting Co-operative Society Limited in Suakati, Keonjhar district.
The EOW has applied to the Balasore OPID court to take Chakra on a five-day remand for further interrogation and to uncover other possible accomplices involved in the corruption.
The investigation has revealed massive financial irregularities within the cooperative society. Between 2017-18 and March 2024, the agency claimed profits of ₹185 crore without conducting audits since 2012-13. It was found that ₹34 crore, allegedly spent on local development, had no visible impact, as confirmed by an independent verification team.
Additionally, Chakra is accused of using his personal vehicles and machinery in place of the society’s, with payments directed to Maa Kali Petrol Pump, registered in his name. Over the last four years, ₹33 crore was reportedly distributed among villagers to gain support and silence dissent. Discrepancies were also found in records showing ₹74 crore allocated for workers and loading expenses.
The EOW has seized 42 vehicles, including passenger and highway vehicles, registered under Chakra and his wife, Rupali Patnaik. Investigators have discovered over 90 vehicles linked to them, along with two screening plants owned by Chakra. The case has further implicated Manas Ranjan Barik, former president of the cooperative society, and secretary Utkal Das, who had been arrested earlier.
This high-profile case exposes glaring violations of financial accountability and governance, prompting further scrutiny of cooperative societies in the region. The EOW’s ongoing investigation is expected to reveal more details as it progresses.
