Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday suspended party MP Ramchandra Hansda and former party MLA Subarna Naik after they were arrested by the CBI on charge of criminal conspiracy in the multi-crore chit fund scam in Odisha.
"BJD President Naveen Patnaik has suspended Mayurbhanj MP Hansda and former Keonjhar MLA Naik after they were arrested by the CBI," BJD spokesman Rabi Narayan nanda told PTI.
The party's action came barely two hours after the arrest of the duo along with Hitesh Kumar Bagarti, a former BJP MLA in the ponzi scam case.
The three leaders, also former directors of ponzi company-Nabadiganta Capital Service, were arrested on the charge of criminal conspiracy, cheating and diversion of funds.
While BJD placed its party MP and former MLA under suspension, the BJP on its part claimed that Bagarti was no more a member of the party.
"We have not renewed the membership of Bagarti, ex-MLA from Khariar, much before his arrest," BJP spokesman Sajan Sharma said.
Senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari also claimed that the party had not given ticket to Bagarti to contest the 2014 general elections.
Earlier on October 31, the BJD had suspended its Banki MLA Pravat Tripathy from the party after he was arrested for his alleged links with Artha Tatwa Group, another ponzi company accused of duping thousands of investors.
