CBI searches Barabati Stadium, ex-OOA officials

NEW DELHI: The CBI today searched Cuttack's Barabati Stadium and the homes of former office bearers of the Odisha Olympic Association in connection with a case related to encroachments on government land.

The action came after the agency registered an FIR in the matter on directions of the Supreme Court.

The case was registered under charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating against former Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) secretary Ashirbad Behera, Income Associates of Cuttack and unidentified officials of the OOA, officials said.

On April 3, the Supreme Court held the OOA guilty of encroaching on government land to construct near the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and ordered the district administration to take possession of the property.

The judgement had come on a plea filed by OOA against an Orissa High Court order directing the state government to take possession of encroached government land adjoining Barabati Stadium while asking the state crime branch of the police to investigate the incident.

OOA, which had got 20 acres of government land on lease for construction of Barabati Stadium way back in 1949, subsequently encroached upon two acres of vacant government land in the mid-70s.

However, in 1986, the OOA sub-leased the encroached land and developed various business establishments on it and earned revenue.

Challenging the encroachment, the state government had in 2000 filed an eviction case. OOA contested it in a civil court and in 2002 obtained a favourable decree. The state government then moved the High Court against the judgement of the lower court.