BJD leader may not get advance bail soon

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Sep 16: Senior Biju Janata Dal leader and party’s sitting legislator from Banki Pravat Tripathy has approached the Orissa High Court in Cuttack apprehending arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the chit fund scam.Tripathy, however, may have to wait for some days because the High Court was not likely to hear his petition seeking anticipatory bail soon since such pleas were being taken up for hearing on a first come, first served basis, according to lawyers.The BJD leader, who also happens to be the president of the Durga Puja Committee of Cuttack city, had moved the High Court on Monday several days after his houses were raided by the CBI in connection with his alleged links with the Artha Tatwa Group, whose chief Pradip Sethy was arrested earlier.The CBI had also raided the house of a party colleague of Tripathy in Banki.The CBI had also questioned Ashish Sahu, executive committee member of the BJD and associate of Tripathy, in connection with the multi-crore scam involving the AT Group.Two media house owners – Madhu Mohanty and Manoj Das – were also arrested by the CBI on Sunday for their financial dealings with the AT Group.While Mohanty has since been remanded to CBI custody by a local court on Monday, orders the bail application of Das was likely to be passed by the court today.