BHUBANESWAR 10-Mar-2016
Asirbad Behera, the uncrowned sports monarch of Odisha, suffered a double setback yesterday as the Supreme Court (SC) restrained him from functioning as the honorary secretary of the Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) till April 13 in connection with Barabati Stadium land scam and the Commissionerate Police summoned his son and Football Association of Odisha (FAO) secretary Sanjay Behera for questioning in connection with alleged links with gangster Dhalsamnat siblings.
Though Behera, who is also the secretary of Odisha Cricket Association, temporarily stepped down from his OOA post, honouring the SC order, he kicked off another controversy by entrusting the charge to first-time joint secretary Rabindra Kumar Parida instead of a senior office-bearer of the apex sports body of the state.
While adjudicating over a special leave petition filed by OOA, in which the association had challenged a judgment of the Odisha High Court, a Division Bench of the apex court, comprising Justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant in an interim order restrained Behera from functioning as the OOA secretary till April 13, when the matter will come up for further hearing.
``Respecting the Supreme Court direction, I have stepped down from the post and handed over the charge to our joint-secretary Rabindra Parida to look after the day-to-day functioning of the association,’’ said Behera, who had been occupying the post for 28 years since 1988. Parida, who is also the secretary of Odisha State Table Tennis Association, would take charge today.
The Supreme Court is currently examining and ascertaining as to whether the commercial complexes built by the OOA near Barabati Stadium in Cuttack are within the leasehold area as claimed by the sporting body. The association had built a commercial complex comprising 23 shops and a Kalayan Mandap, namely Barabati Palace, on the adjacent vacant government land close to the stadium.
The SC order came when the counsel for the State government, Ashok Panigrahi, told the apex court that the two partners looking after the commercial complexes are son and son-in-law of Behera and there is a conflict of interest, which may enter into the realm of fiscal impropriety.
“Prima facie, the conflict of interest is manifest. Regard being had to the facts and circumstances of the case, we direct Mr Asirbad Behera is restrained from functioning as the secretary of the Association till next date of hearing,” the apex court said on the day posting the matter to be listed on April 13, 2016, next.
According to the case details, OOA was provided with 20.808 acres of government land on lease for construction of the Barabati Stadium in 1949. Subsequently, the association, which is the custodian of Barabati Stadium, allegedly encroached upon 705 decimal of government land adjoining the stadium and constructed 23 shops and a wedding hall on it illegally and was earning commercially from it.
Challenging the encroachment, the state government had moved the Odisha High Court and while disposing of the petition, the HC on November 29, 2014, ordered a crime branch probe into OOA affairs and directed the Cuttack Collector to take possession of the shops and the luxurious wedding hall.
The court had also directed the Odisha Accountant General (AG) to submit a report on the financial transactions of Barabati Palace and other business establishments adjacent to it allegedly built on land encroached by OOA.
According to the apex court’s directives, a committee headed by the district judge, Cuttack with two more additional judges nominated by the Chief Justice of Odisha High Court as its members, was asked to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry. The Chief Secretary and Revenue Secretary were directed to assist the panel in its inquiry.
The district administration had conducted a measurement exercise in the matter in 2014 and had submitted its report to the High Court that OOA had constructed Barabati Palace and three shops on encroached government land, according to Revenue department sources.
Following which the High Court had directed Cuttack district administration to take possession of Barabati Palace and the other business establishments in November 2014. This apart, the court had also asked the Crime Branch to investigate the activities of OOA. Unsatisfied with the HC order, OOA had moved Supreme Court last year seeking relief. However, the SC also took note of OOA`s irregularities.
POLICE SUMMONS SANJAY: Compounding the worries for Asirbad Behera, the Commissionerate Police summoned his younger son and FAO secretary Sanjay Behera for questioning in connection with alleged links with arrested gangster siblings Sushil Dhalsamant and Sushant Dhalsamnat.
Sources said Sanjay has been asked to appear before the Chauliaganj police within seven days to record his statement before the investigating officer (IO) in the Dhalsamanta brothers’ case. It was alleged that the Dhalsamant brothers were involved in the activities of FAO.
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PHOTO: File photo of Asirbad Behera with his son Sanjay Behera
