Bhubaneswar: Odisha government Thursday ordered compulsory retirement of OPHWC’s tainted deputy manager Pratap Kumar Samal, a few days after his arrest over disproportionate assets charge.
Samal was arrested by Vigilance November 10 for allegedly possessing assets worth Rs 14.87 crore. Later, the anti-corruption wing took him on a two-day remand for interrogation.
The former deputy manager had allegedly invested his ill-gotten money in the production of two Odia movies. “Samal had invested the black money acquired by him in two movies,” a senior Vigilance official said.
Besides, Samal had also invested the black money in purchasing shares of different companies. “This is in addition to the properties and cash worth Rs 14.87 crore which have already been documented by the Vigilance as disproportionate assets belonging to him,” the official added.
Samal’s spouse Sasmita produced two movies and the former deputy manager was an associate producer in one of those. The Vigilance department has registered a case against him under Sections 13(1)(B) and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
The Vigilance department found Samal in possession of assets worth Rs 14.87 crore, 1021% more than his legal sources of income.
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Following simultaneous searches carried out at different places linked to Samal, which continued the previous day and concluded November 10 morning, Vigilance sleuths arrested the official and his wife as the couple was found in possession of the properties worth crores.
Ten separate teams of the anti-corruption agency had carried out searches on strength of a search warrant issued by the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance in Bhubaneswar, the official informed.
Twenty-five immovable properties owned by Samal and his spouse Sasmita were detected, including 22 plots and three buildings out of which 17 plots and two buildings are in Bhubaneswar and Khurda.
Value of the immovable properties including registration and stamp duty is said to be Rs 3,41,58,412 and the market price is projected to be higher. Moreover, the value of a five-storey building located at Gothapatna is Rs 3,89,60,000 as per self-declaration made by Samal and his wife.
Valuation of other assets is being done by the Technical Wing of Vigilance. Bank deposit of Rs 1,61,35,812.50 in total was found in the accounts of Samal and his family members. Insurance premium of Rs 57,72,150 has also been paid by the family, the source added.
“Bank accounts of Samal and his family members have been frozen and further investigation is underway. A few moments prior to the raid by Vigilance teams, Samal threw a bag containing unaccounted cash of around Rs 20 lakh to an abandoned building near his house. The Vigilance later seized the bag and cash. A team also seized Rs 38.12 lakh in cash from the house of Samal,” the senior sleuth stated.
Ten places raided November 9 include a three-storey building in IRC Village of Bhubaneswar, a six-storey building in Jayadev Vihar, a single-story building in Sarakantara of Khandagiri, a flat on the second floor in Narendra Villa, a three-storey apartment named Ananya Towers, a three-story apartment at Balisahi locality of Basudevpur in Bhadrak, a temporary residence of his associate at Ananya Towers, ancestral house and a relative’s house, both at Haripur area of Simulia in Balasore, including Samal’s office room in Bhubaneswar.
PNN
