Raurkela: Odisha Vigilance arrested Dhaneswar Barad, Excise Superintendent of Raurkela, Saturday after recovering Rs 5 lakh in suspected ill-gotten cash during an interception operation the previous night, officials said.
Vigilance officials intercepted a Scorpio bearing registration number OD14-AD-1314 near the Excise Superintendent’s Office at Uditnagar, Raurkela Friday night.
The vehicle was allegedly being used by a salesman of a local wine shop to transport Rs 5 lakh in cash.
According to the Vigilance Directorate, the salesman told investigators that Barad had given him the cash for delivery to the officer’s residence.
When confronted with the salesman, Barad allegedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the cash.
The money was seized in the presence of witnesses.
A case was registered at Raurkela Vigilance Police Station on September 11 under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Following the seizure, simultaneous searches were conducted at Barad’s residential premises in Civil Township, Raurkela, and at a double-storey building at Raghunathpur in Bhubaneswar.
The searches uncovered a 2,700-square-foot double-storey building at Raghunathpur, four plots including one in Bhubaneswar and three on the outskirts of Nayagada, and bank deposits totalling Rs 33.97 lakh.
Documents relating to other investments and deposits were also recovered and are being verified, the agency said.
The Vigilance Directorate said its assessment of Barad’s income, expenditure and assets showed assets allegedly disproportionate to his known sources of income by 100 per cent.
Barad was arrested Saturday and produced before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Sundaragada. The investigation is continuing.