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Sunday, Jul 01, 2007
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Prime accused protests innocence

Staff Reporter

Suspended official deposes in liquor case

Accused says he had no links with former Collector
July 7 fixed for cross-examination

BHUBANESWAR: Surya Sahoo, one of the prime accused in the illicit liquor trade that caused hooch tragedies in Ganjam district in 2006 on Saturday said he had no connection with the then Collector Sanjay Singh.

Deposing before the Justice P.K. Patro Commission probing the Ganjam liquor tragedies here, he said, "I did not have connection with then Collector."

Suspended police inspector Satish Padhi had submitted affidavit with the Commission alleging that the former Ganjam District Collector had link with liquor mafia, and placed certain ‘proofs’ obtained under Right To Information to substantiate his claims.

Mr. Padhi had also produced call details of mobile numbers of Sarat Singh, brother of former Ganjam Collector Sanjay Singh, and the main accused Surya Sahoo, to prove the link.

"I knew Sarat Singh as cluster manager of Reliance company. He used to visit my petrol pump for checking. Besides this, I don’t have any other relation with him. He was also not a partner in my liquor business," Mr. Sahoo said.

He said, "I had even no idea that Sarat Singh was brother of the Collector. After the liquor tragedies, I came to know about the relation from newspapers."

The prime accused also said he was not involved in illicit liquor manufacturing as he was only trading India Made Foreign Liquor. He was falsely implicated by police in three cases before for which he had moved Orissa High Court against, Mr. Sahoo said.

The Commission’s counsel just completed the cross examination on Saturday while the next date for cross-examination was fixed as July 7.

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