Sarpanch possesses assets 3,340 pc more than income, held

A panchayat sarpanch was arrested in Odisha's Ganjam district on Thursday for allegedly amassing wealth which is 3,340 per cent more than his known sources of income, a vigilance official said.

The sarpanch of Ankorada gram panchayat was arrested after the anti-corruption agency traced properties valued at over Rs 1.54 crore owned by him, said Berhampur SP (Vigilance), Mayadhar Swain.

Vigilance sleuths raided six places in Digapahandi, Sahu's ancestral house at Nabarangapur and his gram panchayat office at Ankorada on Wednesday.

The sleuths found 11 housing plots valued at Rs 10.34 lakh in the name of the accused and his wife, and a two-storey building worth Rs 20 lakh at Digaphandi, Swain said.

Two buildings worth Rs 25.07 lakh and Rs 3.85 lakh at Nabarangapur another one valued at Rs 9.50 lakh were found by the vigilance team in their name.

The vigilance sleuths found that the sarpanch has Rs 29.80 lakh in accounts various banks besides owning Rs 8.10 lakh-worth household items.

Swain said 615 gm gold ornaments, 1.4 kg silver ornaments and Rs 44 lakh in cash were recovered from the sarpanch's residence.

He possesses two cars and as many motorbikes with a total value of Rs 34.10 lakh, the vigilance SP said.

The accused was elected as Ankorada panchayat samiti member from 2007 to 2012, while his wife was sarpanch from 2012 to 2017. He then got elected as the sarapanch in 2017 and is still in the post.

He was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Arms Act after an unlicensed rifle along with ammunition were found from his residence at Digapahandi.