Bhubaneswar/Koraput: The economic offences wing (EOW) of Odisha crime branch on Friday conducted searches at properties linked to former BJD Rajya Sabha member Nekkanti Bhaskar Rao (72) over allegations that he had links with Maoists and funded their activities between 2003 and 2005 by allegedly diverting funds from a truck owners’ association.The simultaneous raids at nine locations in Bhubaneswar and Rayagada district followed an EOW case registered on Sept 22 against Bhaskar Rao, his son N Krishna Chaitanya, former Rayagada truck owners’ association president B Manmadha Rao and ex-treasurer G Krishna. EOW took over the investigation from Rayagada police, which had initially registered the case on July 9.According to the FIR lodged by association president Yalla Venkateswar Rao, a copy of which is with TOI, Bhaskar allegedly exercised control over the truckers’ association from 1983 to 2023 and managed its finances and affairs without a valid legal mandate. The complainant accused Bhaskar and the other accused of misappropriating nearly Rs 60 crore belonging to the association.Bhaskar, who served as Rajya Sabha MP from 2016 to 2022, resigned from the BJD in 2025.“Bhaskar Rao, along with Manmadha Rao and former treasurer Krishna, allegedly extorted money from truck owners and funded Naxals in Rayagada,” the FIR stated. According to the complaint, truck owners were allegedly asked to contribute between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 in 2003 and between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 in 2004 for payments purportedly meant for Maoists.“When truck owners opposed the collections, the accused discontinued direct fund collection and, from 2005 onwards, began charging Rs 50 per tonne as commission from every truck owner for funding Maoists,” the FIR said.The complainant claimed that nearly Rs 3 crore was collected annually without receipts and that the amount amassed between 2003 and 2023 could be around Rs 60 crore.The FIR further alleged that a substantial portion of the money was diverted into private businesses and real estate ventures linked to Bhaskar and his associates. “Our investigation is focused on allegations of large-scale financial irregularities, extortion, and the accused persons’ alleged links with Maoists,” EOW SP Srikanta Kumar Behera said.EOW officials said Bhaskar was not present during the searches. Attempts to contact the former MP and other accused for comments were unsuccessful.