Odisha Vigilance launches multiple raids on properties of senior officer

The Odisha Vigilance on Monday launched simultaneous raids on the properties and office of a joint director-rank officer at eight locations in three districts in connection with its probe into his alleged disproportionate assets.

The Vigilance Department launched the search operations on the properties of the Soil Conservation and Watershed Development joint director, following allegations that he amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The official was a former project director (PD) of the Watershed Department in Rayagada.

"Simultaneous searches are being conducted by Odisha Vigilance officials led by 10 deputy superintendents of police, eight inspectors, 10 ASIs, and other supporting staffers on the strength of search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna," an officer said.

The raids are being carried out at three places in Bhubaneswar, two locations in Kalahandi district and three places in Nabarangpur, the Vigilance officer added.

During the raids so far, the Vigilance sleuth detected two farmhouses, a shopping complex and an under-construction building in Nabarangpur district, one flat and a building in Bhubaneswar, 11 acres of land on the outskirts of Bhabanipatna town in Kalahandi district and bank deposits of Rs 55 lakh.

Out of the two farmhouses, one located at Bijraguda is spread over 40 acres of land worth Rs 1 crore, while another farmhouse is spread over 6 acres of land at Phatakote in the same district and is worth Rs 34 lakh.

On May 22 this year, the Anti-corruption Department arrested four officials of the office of the project director of the Watershed Department in Rayagada for allegedly embezzling Rs 20 lakh of government money without excavating 23 ponds in different villages of Kashipur block in Rayagada district under MGNREGA.

Since then, the former project director of the Watershed Department in Rayagada was under the scanner of the Vigilance department, he added.