Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik has resigned from his position as the editor of ‘Sambad,’ an Odia daily newspaper that he owns, amid allegations of involvement in a loan fraud case. He has also stepped down as the chairman of Eastern Media Limited.
This decision follows recent actions by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch, which conducted a raid at the ‘Sambad’ office in Rasulgarh as part of an investigation into alleged loan fraud. The raid involved three joint teams, comprising 12 EOW officials and Commissionerate Police officers.
Following his resignation, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik’s daughter, Tanaya Patnaik, who serves as the executive director of the Sambad group, has assumed the role of editor for the newspaper.
Amid the ongoing EOW investigation, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, known for his critical editorial stance on the state government and 5T secretary VK Pandian’s district visits, was removed from his position as BJD vice-president.
Furthermore, on September 21, the BJD expelled him from the party, citing his alleged involvement in ‘anti-people’ activities. Despite these developments, Patnaik has not publicly commented on his expulsion from the ruling BJD.
His recent resignation as the editor of ‘Sambad’ has raised questions and generated considerable interest, especially in light of his earlier silence on these matters.
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