A two-member Enforcement Directorate (ED) team led by Assistant Director Subhashish Samal interrogated Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda at the Brahmapur jail on Wednesday.
The move is a first-of-its-kind for the ED to interrogate a Maoist leader in the country.
The ED interrogated Panda regarding financial offences committed by him. It was alleged that Panda had collected crores of rupees as extortion and invested them at different places illegally. The ED wanted to know details about these and the custodians of his ill-gotten money, said sources.
Notably, Panda was arrested in July 2014 and he has been staying in jail since then. The ED had received complaints that he was hiding in jungles and collecting extortion from different people and organisations before his arrest.
However, Panda’s consel Deepak Patnaik has questioned the ED move while his client’s case is subjudice at the Orissa High Court.
It may be noted that Panda has been set free in eight cases while many other cases are still pending against him.
“Versions of police and witnesses are not aligning in many cases. While there is no case pending against Panda at the Khordha court, it is not understood how the ED team came with an order of that court and interrogated Panda,” said Patnaik.
