Seashore Chit Fund Scam: CBI grills Retd. IAS PK Hota

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has grilled retired IAS officer PK Hota in connection of the Seashore chit fund scam. Hota, who appeared before the CBI today, was questioned for around four hours. The CBI also interrogated PK Hota’s son Debashish Hota, who was the Manager of Seashore Tours & Travels.

PK Hota was the Managing Director of Agriculture Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (APICOL). He also served in the Agriculture Department of Odisha as an Additional Secretary. His houses were raided by the CBI in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on November 19, 2014. Former APICOL Chairman BK Rath’s house in Titlagarh was also raided on the same day.

Seashore Group had invested in many sectors in Odisha, including Tourism, Finance, Health, Agri-processing, cooperative, gold trade etc. It is believed that some of the officials were in collusion with Seashore MD Prashant Dash to grant him undue favor.