EOW arrests BJD leader’s aide in multi-crore transport scam investigation

Bhubaneswar, March 20: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch arrested Sushant Samal, a close associate of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Soumya Shankar ‘Raja’ Chakra, on Thursday in connection with the multi-crore transport scam.

Samal was taken into custody after investigators reportedly found evidence of his involvement in concealing large sums of money across multiple locations and investing in benami (anonymous) properties. He is also accused of money laundering, playing a key role in financial transactions linked to the scam.

Sources indicate that the EOW is likely to seek Samal’s remand for further questioning when he is produced in court. His arrest comes days after the agency nabbed Raja Chakra on March 14 for his alleged role in a massive transport and loading scam involving mining irregularities in Keonjhar district.

The case involves large-scale financial misconduct in the mining and transportation of iron ore, with overcharging and illicit profit-sharing inflating the scam’s estimated worth to around Rs 500 crore. So far, the EOW has seized 42 vehicles and two screening plants linked to Chakra. Authorities have also frozen several bank accounts, immobilizing approximately Rs 25 lakh as part of the financial probe.