Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance Tuesday launched raids on properties of two government officers at multiple locations for possessing disproportionate assets (DA) beyond their known sources of income, an official said.
Vigilance sleuths launched search operations on properties of Umakant Samantaray, assistant director of factories and boilers, Sambalpur, and Bandita Dash, assistant engineer (AE), posted at Badachana block in Jajpur district.
Vigilance officers led by 8 DSPs, 11 inspectors, 11 ASIs, and other supporting staff, conducted searches at seven places in Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Khurda based on search warrants issued by the special judge, vigilance, Sambalpur, officials said.
Dash and her associate Somonath Sethy (private person) were nabbed Monday for demanding and taking a bribe of Rs 35,000 from an individual to release a security deposit and clear pending bills, a vigilance officer said.
While searching Dash’s residential house in Kataka, the vigilance department recovered Rs 5.15 lakh, he said, adding that further investigation is in progress.
Meanwhile, the Vigilance Department arrested Shishir Kumar Dash, assistant executive engineer (AEE), Mathili block, attached to the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Malkangiri, for possessing disproportionate assets.
During raids conducted on Monday, the AEE was found in possession of disproportionate assets including two multi-storeyed buildings, 6 high value plots, Rs 82 lakh in deposits, and one four wheeler, etc, which he could not account for satisfactorily, the officer said.
