Vigilance arrests school headmaster in disproportionate assets case

Barpali CDPO caught in vigilance net

Nabarangpur:  The headmaster of a government-run boarding school in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district has been arrested by anti-graft Vigilance wing for allegedly amassing assets worth over Rs 2.6 crore that are disproportionate to his known sources of income, Vigilance officials said Thursday.

Ranjeet Kumar Panigrahi, headmaster of Baragaon Upper Primary Boarding School in Nabarangpur, was arrested Wednesday on the basis of findings of searches conducted by Vigilance sleuths in at least five locations, a vigilance statement said.

His two-storey residential building at Raighar, another three-storey building at Raighar, a two-storey building-cum-fertiliser shop at Raighar, house of a relative at Raighar and an office chamber were searched Tuesday on the basis of search warrants issued by a court, the statement said.

During the course of search, he was found to be in possession of assets worth around Rs 2.60 crore, including a three-storey building, two two-storey buildings, six plots, two four-wheelers, two two-wheelers, deposits in different banks worth Rs 70.46 lakhs, investment in insurance policies worth Rs 20.31 lakh, gold and silver ornaments and cash of over six lakh, it said.

After the search, inventory and further enquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of Panigrahi were calculated and he was found in possession of assets disproportionate to the known sources of income to the tune of around Rs 1.80 crore.

As the headmaster could not account for assets acquired by him satisfactorily, he was arrested under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act,2018 and further investigation is on, it said.

(PTI)

Exit mobile version