Odisha: Expelled MLA Pradeep Panigrahi lived like Covid-age Charles Shobhraj

Bhubaneswar, Dec 02: After sacking the Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi from the BJD for "anti-people activity", the party has justified its decision.

When the COVID-19 situation was grave in Ganjam and lives were at risk, Panigrahi was flying in chartered planes and enjoying luxurious accommodation in cities like Mumbai and Pune.

He was cheating the people of his constituency, taking bribes promising unemployed youth of jobs through Akash Kumar Pathak, an accused who was arrested along with his father, IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak.

Both have been arrested on charges of accumulating properties disproportionate to their known sources of income, the party stated. Panigrahi along with Pathaks travelled lavishly in chartered flights and led an extravagant life while people of Ganjam were suffering from Covid-19, it was also stated.

He along with the Pathak family spent around Rs 84 lakh on their stay at the Taj hotel in Mumbai. They also spent lakhs at the Hotel Taj Palace in Delhi, Lenin Mohanty, BJD spokesperson told the media.

He also accused Panigrahi of playing a key role in the job fraud allegations against Pathak.

He was defrauding people of lakhs with help of a racket being run by Akash Pathak by promising jobs in Tata Motors.

The latter was taking bribe from job seekers by impersonating himself as the Managing Director of Tata Motors. Mohanty also said. The supremo of the BJD Naveen Patnaik consciously used the word anti-people against Panigrahi as it was like Niro was playing music while Rome burnt.

It is a very insensitive display of power and arrogance that is characteristic of anti-people attitude by Panigrahi, Mohanty said.