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Bhubaneswar, July 3: The troubles of law minister Arun Sahoo, who faces the Opposition’s accusations of having links with Motilal Gauda, seemed to be growing Sunday as senior minister and ruling BJD vice-president Damodar Rout said the government is looking into Gauda’s political links.
Gauda, the former assistant director (factories and boilers) accused of fabricating a government gazette notification, was arrested Sunday. Sahoo’s alleged link with Gauda, who allegedly issued fake gazette notification and took kickbacks of over `1crore, was exposed after some photographs circulated in media circles showed the duo together and also with some BJD MLAs such as Byamokesh Ray, Anubhab Patnaik and Pranab Balabantaray. One photograph also showed Sahoo’s family together with Gauda’s family.
“The state government is looking into the political link of Gauda to initiate action against political leaders who had helped Gauda in his wrongdoing,” said Rout. The comment, coming at a time when speculation is rife about a possible ministerial rejig, seemed to be making matters worse for Sahoo, who is also embroiled in an “serious professional misconduct” as per the allegations of the State Bar Council. The council has served Sahoo a notice for not surrendering his bar license, which he obtained in 1996, even after holding the post of a minister in 2012, an office of profit.
In an oblique attack on Sahoo, senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra also demanded Sunday that Crime Branch expose Gauda’s political boss.
Sources said allegations against Sahoo have created a dilemma for the BJD leadership as it is already struggling to deal with the alleged links of some of its actor-turned-politicians with some chit fund scam accused. Both Congress and BJP have already demanded that Sahoo and some MLAs of BJD be brought into the purview of investigation in this case pertaining to Gauda’s alleged wrongdoing.
Sahoo could not be reached for his reaction, but BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said, “The matter (concerning Gauda) is being probed by Crime Branch. The law will take its own course and whoever is guilty will be punished by the law.”