Bhubaneswar: The CBI on Tuesday questioned Chandrasekhar Lenka for his alleged links with the multi-thousand crore Ponzi scam in the state. He is the brother of Subhransu Lenka, who was Odisha head of Astha International Ltd, a chit fund company.

Chandrasekhar, who did not hold any post in the firm, was grilled for the first time for over two hours. CBI was tightlipped about Chandrasekhar's exact nature of involvement in the scam. "We suspect financial transactions between the company and him," said a CBI officer.

Chandrasekhar denied his links with the scam. "The investigating agency sought some information about the company from me. They also asked me about my banking transactions. I have no role in any chit fund scam," he told mediapersons. Chandrasekhar parried questions whether he received money from the company or his brother.

On February 15, CBI took the firm's key functionary Chandrasinh Chauhan Shivaji on remand for interrogation. Gujarat police had arrested Shivaji at Surat in June 2015. On December 23, 2015, the CBI brought Santosh Kisan Sapkale, managing director of Astha International, on seven-day remand from Surat.

CBI sources said Shivaji and Sapkale were retired police officers in Gujarat and floated Astha International in Surat in 2009.

The company has been accused of cheating investors of nearly 10 crore in Odisha. Astha International's state head Subhransu is in judicial custody since June 2013.