Bhubaneswar, Aug 31 (Representative) A special court has convicted and sentenced two persons to five years rigorous imprisonment (RI) and fine of Rs. 1 lakhs each in a Rs.31 crore cheating case. The court observed that in default of fine the convicted persons will further undergo R.I. for one year. The Economic Offence Wing sources here said Lt. Col. Rakesh Rana (retired), Chairman of Sainik Welfare Organisation- India and Purna Chandra Panda, Managing Director of Brookson Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd were convicted for cheating people by not providing plots. They defaulted in refunding the deposited amount received from the complainant and others, who had booked plots in “Defence Intercity Vatika Project” located at Bhubaneswar during the year 2011-12 to 2014-15. The case was under trial in the Court of Presiding Officer, Designated Court under OPID (Odisha Protection of Interest of Depositors) Act, Cuttack. The court also convicted the SWO-India and M/s Brookson Infra Pvt. Ltd and sentenced them with a fine of Rs. two lakhs each.
On the written report of one Patitapabana Biswal, EOW registered a Case against Lt. Col. Rakesh Rana (retired), and Purna Chandra Panda, Managing Director of Brookson Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. & others . During course of investigation it was ascertained that “Sainik Welfare Organisation- India” (SWO-India), a New Delhi based NGO, having its trustee namely, accused Lt. Col. Rakesh Rana (Chairman) & three others during 2010, launched a plotting scheme in the name & style, “Defence Intercity Vatika Association” at Giringaput Mouza, Bhubaneswar for providing residential plots to the serving/ retired defence personnel. Subsequent to that the SWO-India, collected about Rs. 31.57 crores from 542 defence personnel towards cost of land, development charges and registration fees. Moreover, the SWO-India represented through its Chairman, Rakesh Rana, during August, 2011 entered into an agreement with the accused, Purna Chandra Panda, to purchase land for the above project. However, the accused persons in criminal conspiracy hatched between themselves & others did not purchase adequate land to provide the same to the intending buyers as assured to them and for which they had collected the money.
They did not provide any land to the investors and misappropriated the entire amount. During investigation ad-interim proposal has been submitted by EOW attaching frozen bank balance of Rs. 55.20 lakhs approximately and land measuring Ac. 3.20 decimal having face value of more than Rs. 71 lakhs of SWO India and M/s Brookson Infrastructure Pvt Ltd., on the basis of which the Government has issued ad-interim order for attachment on December 7, 2017. After completion of investigation of the case, charge-sheet was submitted against accused, Rakesh Rana, Purna Chandra Panda, Pradipta Kumar Barik, Project Liasoning Officer of Defence Intercity Vatika Association for SWO Dharambir Singh, another Trustee of SWO, India