Bhubaneswar: In what could be a major trouble for BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda and his wife Jagi Panda, the former driver of Ortel Communications Rabi Sethi, who is also a key accused in the Sarua land grabbing case, today confessed that the land of Scheduled Caste families were brought through him in spite of his unwillingness and putting pressure on him.
He alleged that Scheduled Caste land has also been bought in his name without his knowledge in Puri and other parts of the States.
The former diver further alleged that he was working as driver of Ortel and belongs to Scheduled Caste, so Baijayant Panda used him as benami to purchase SC lands in many parts of the State.
“He used to get small amount of Rs 8000 per month as salary but he owns lands worth crores of rupees. Those lands were bought without his knowledge”, he said in the video message.
Jay Panda being a general caste person cannot buy SC land so used his SC driver to grab SC lands making at least 24 Scheduled caste families landless, he further alleged.
In a video message, he alleged that initially he protested the manner in which land were bought in Sarua against his will.
“I have conveyed the Khordha Collector about Sarua land transaction deal”, he said.
He also requested the administration to return the land of the poor Schedule caste family in Sarua