Rourkela: The anti-corruption wing officials arrested Rourkela Assistant Collector Manoranjan Nayak after simultaneous vigilance raids that started Tuesday ended up Wednesday morning.
Separate teams of sleuths carried out raids on five different places associated with Nayak over the charge that he amassed properties disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Nayak is being interrogated at Rourkela Vigilance Office. The sleuths have unearthed movable and immovable assets owned by the Assistant Collector worth more than Rs 2 crore, the source added.
House searches were conducted in Sundargarh, Jajpur and Khurda districts by five teams comprising an Additional SP, four DSPs, five Inspectors and several other subordinate staff on the strength of a search warrant issued by Special Judge, Vigilance in Sundargarh.
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The searches were carried out at Nayak’s office and two residences in Rourkela (MIG-27 and MIG 264, Chhend Colony at Kalinga Vihar), his ancestral house in Jajpur district and an apartment at Gothapatna.
Assets unearthed following the search include: a three-storey building and a two-storey building, both in Rourkela city of Sundargarh and a three-BHK flat at Gothapatana locality in Bhubaneswar (the present market values of which are said to be more than Rs 75 lakh, Rs 35 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, respectively). However, the buildings might have been undervalued during registrations, a Vigilance official stated.
Other assets recovered are two four-wheelers (sedans) and a two-wheeler, bank and other deposits, gold, cash and several other movable and immovable properties. It is being suspected that Nayak has also created Benami assets which are now under scrutiny.
A detailed probe into the case is still underway.
It is pertinent to mention, prior to Nayak’s present appointment, he was earlier promoted as additional tehsildar few months ago.
PNN
