Balasore: A defamation suit has been filed against senior advocate Sitanshu Mohan Dwivedi for reportedly making baseless allegations in connection with a multi-crore corruption case involving Gandhamardan Loading Agency and Transporting Co-operative Society Ltd.
BJP state president Manmohan Samal filed the defamation complaint Saturday before the SDJM court in Balasore (Case No. 25/25). The suit follows Dwivedi’s recent remarks alleging that Samal’s party workers had demanded Rs 1.3 crore under the pretext of a “state head” to allow business operations to continue.
Samal has dismissed the allegations as “false and malicious.” Dwivedi is the legal representative of BJD leader Soumyashankar alias Raja Chakra, a key accused in the ongoing investigation by the Crime Branch into financial misconduct.
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Accompanying Samal at the court were several BJP leaders and legal professionals, including deputy chief whip and Remuna MLA Gobinda Chandra Das, district BJP president Ishwar Chandra Behera, former district president Umakanta Mohapatra, Bar Association president Keshab Acharya, senior advocates Harekrushna Das, Lambodar Nayak, Bailochan Das, Ashish Ghosh, and Shobhana Mohanty, along with Om Prakash Ray from the Cuttack High Court.
Speaking to the media, Samal said, “About a month ago, Sitanshu Mohan Dwivedi levelled a baseless allegation against me. He claimed that my workers demanded Rs 1.3 crore under the guise of a state head and threatened to halt business operations if the amount wasn’t paid.
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These statements were made with malicious intent to tarnish my image and the reputation of the BJP in the state.” He said that the complaint was filed to counter a “fabricated and unfounded narrative,” and stated, “If anyone has any allegations against me, show me the proof. These are completely baseless claims made solely for publicity or to defame me and the ruling party.”
Samal also urged the media to verify the truthfulness of claims before publishing them, especially when political or reputational stakes are high. The allegation has triggered political uproar across the state, particularly as it relates to a broader corruption case involving crores of rupees misappropriated by the co-operative society, in which Raja Chakra is reportedly the principal accused.
PNN
