Odisha TV channel CFO arrested in land deal case; channel owners, Opposition cry foul

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police on Sunday arrested the chief monetary officer (CFO) of a number one Odia TV channel over an allegation of land fraud triggering accusations of the federal government’s witchhunt towards the channel.

Manoranjan Sarangi, the CFO of OTV was picked up from his residence in Bhubaneswar by EOW officers on Sunday morning and arrested after lengthy interrogation in an alleged fraudulent land deal in Sarua, Khurda district. He was later forwarded to the court docket after a medical test on the Capital Hospital was carried out within the night.

A press launch issued by the EOW stated Odisha InfraTech Pvt Ltd, during which Sarangi was one of many administrators, had bought land belonging to scheduled caste individuals circumventing guidelines/legal guidelines utilizing forgery/dishonest/intimidation and different doubtful strategies to trigger losses to them. Sarangi has been charged beneath sections 420/423/467/468/471/120-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) together with sections 3 (1) (g) (q) of SC & ST (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act.

OTV channel is owned and operated by Jagi Mangat Panda, spouse of BJP’s nationwide vice-president and former MP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda, friend-turned-bete noire of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

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OTV’s working officer Litisha Mangat stated the CFO’s arrest was an indication of vendetta towards the channel as everybody in Odisha is broadly conscious of the assaults on OTV. “Our channel has been fearless and persistent in reporting fact-based news much to their (government’s) displeasure. The 13 false cases filed against OTV in the last 2 months is manifestation of their rage against us. In some of the cases, the courts have granted interim bail. No surprise that they felt the need to fabricate something new.”

In a press release issued final month, the Editors Guild of India had additionally condemned the Odisha authorities’s transfer towards OTV. Early final month, senior OTV journalist Ramesh Rath was picked up by Keonjhar police in an alleged case of viral video involving BJD’s Keonjhar MP Chandrani Murmu. Rath later resigned from OTV.

The OTV CFO’s arrest was condemned by the Congress and the BJP. Senior Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka stated the Odisha authorities appeared to be scared. “It’s a clear case of vendetta which is trying to curb the freedom of expression,” stated Congress MP from Koraput, Saptagiri Ulaka. BJP MP from Bhubaneswar, Aparajita Sarangi additionally requested if the Odisha authorities is afraid or it desires to cover one thing. Senior BJP chief and Sundergarh MP, Jual Oram stated, “The vindictive action against OTV is a dastardly attempt to throttle the voice of media in the state.”

But BJD MP Amar Patnaik stated although Odisha Land Reforms Act prohibits the acquisition of SC land by non-SC individuals, Jay Panda used his unlettered driver, who occurred to be an SC, to purchase land at throwaway costs, who then offered these to his infra firm as he (the motive force) had slightly an excessive amount of of land. “What kind of society have we come to live in where the filthy rich are still impoverishing the poor of whatever little possession they have? Let’s all wake up and raise a chorus of revolt! The power has to be with the poor,” tweeted Patnaik.