Bhubaneshwar, Dec 24 The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Headquarters, filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, before the Special Court (PMLA)-cum-Additional Sessions Judge in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in connection with the Gandhamardan Loading Agency & Transporting Co-operative Society Ltd., Keonjhar, Odisha.
According to a press statement issued by the central agency on Wednesday, the Prosecution Complaint has been filed against 11 accused persons, including the main accused Soumya Sankar Chakra alias Raja Chakra, his key associates, and office bearers of the above cooperative society.
The agency further added that it initiated an investigation into the case on the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police’s Crime Branch, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, on cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
The scheduled offence involves large-scale misappropriation and diversion of society funds by falsely showing expenditures under heads such as periphery development, village expenses, fuel charges, EPF deductions, and other fabricated claims.
“ED investigation revealed that the society was effectively controlled by Soumya Sankar Chakra @ Raja Chakra, who, in connivance with then President Manas Ranjan Barik and Secretary Jitlal Das, fraudulently diverted funds of the society. The diversion was carried out through self and bearer cheques, cash withdrawals, and layered banking transactions,” noted ED sources.
The agency also informed that the illegally diverted funds were used for personal enrichment of Soumya Sankar Chakra and for settling dues of various business entities owned and controlled by him.
ED found no genuine work orders, invoices, or evidence of actual development activities to substantiate the expenditures recorded in the society’s books of accounts.
During the course of the investigation, ED conducted search operations under Section 17 of PMLA at multiple premises and provisionally attached Proceeds of Crime amounting to Rs. 22.26 Crore.
--IANS
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