CBI chargesheet against BJD MLA Pravat Tripathy, 15 others in ponzi case

NEW DELHI: CBI today filed its charge sheet against BJD MLA Pravat Tripathy, former advocate general of Odisha Asok Mohanty among 16 persons and seven companies including Artha Tatwa Group in connection with its probe in a chit fund scam case.

The agency charged 16 individuals and seven companies for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, violation of Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act among others, CBI sources said here.

Mohanty, Tripathy, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Group PK Sethi have been named as accused in the charge sheet, they said.

"Further investigation with regard to role of other persons in larger conspiracy, money trail and role of other agencies continues," CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad said.

The probe against Artha Tatwa group is part of CBI investigation against ponzi scheme operators which is an off shoot of Saradha scam. CBI was entrusted with probe on the orders of Supreme Court this year in May.

CBI has registered 44 FIRs in Odisha against as many chit fund companies. The Supreme Court had handed over the Saradha chit fund scam probe to the CBI and asked the State Governments to provide all logistical help to the agency in this connection.

CBI has formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by Joint Director Rajiv Singh to also probe the role of the Securities Exchange Board of India ( SEBI) and the RBI.