Post News Network
Cuttack, Dec 6: A day after the state Crime Branch launched a probe into alleged irregularities in the Orissa Olympic Association (OOA), a 20-member team of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of CB Saturday raided the OOA office premises here.
According to sources, a EOW team, led by its superintendent Rajendra Patnaik examined various documents of the Football Association of Orissa (FAO), Barabati Palace and OOA.
CB sources said the raids and scrutiny of documents continued till late in the evening. OOA general secretary Ashirbad Behera and other officials of OOA and FAO were present at the OOA office at the time of the raid, said the sources. A team of Crime Branch officials, under the supervision of a DSP rank officer, Friday examined the papers seized from the OOA by Cuttack Sadar tehsildar last Sunday.
The tehsildar, on the orders of the Orissa High Court, had taken possession of land and its properties lying next to Barabati Stadium. It is alleged OOA has encroached upon the land and it is being used for commercial purposes in violation of established rules.
According to sources, OOA has been occupying the land for last 30 years and running business establishments, including a sprawling marriage hall called ‘Barabati Palace. The OOA, which had received 20 acres of government land on lease for construction of Barabati Stadium way back in 1949, subsequently encroached upon two acres of adjacent vacant government land in mid-1970s. However, in 1986, OOA sub-leased the occupied land and developed various business establishments and started earning revenues.
The state government in 2000 had filed an eviction case and challenged the encroachment. But OOA contested it in a civil court and in 2002 obtained a favourable decree. The state government then moved the High Court against the judgment of the lower court.
