Keonjhar: Vigilance sleuths Wednesday raided the properties of junior mining officer Padmanabh Hota from Keonjhar on charges of amassing disproportionate assets. A Vigilance team conducted simultaneous raids at seven locations, including his residence in Keonjhar, as well as properties in Bhubaneswar, Bhawanipatna, and Jajpur. The Vigilance department confirmed ongoing investigations at various sites, including residential properties, plots, and other assets.
The raids were carried out under search warrants issued by the Special Vigilance Judge in Bhubaneswar. The raids targeted various properties, including a two-storey house on a 10,000 sq ft plot in Jagannathpur, Keonjhar; a four-storey building on a 5,800 sq ft plot in Koradakanta, Bhubaneswar; and a farmhouse spanning five acre in Madanpur, Ghasipura. Additional assets include two plots in Pratap Nagari, Cuttack; a vacant plot in Sundarpada, Bhubaneswar; and nine plots totaling 1.16 acre land in Danagadi, Jajpur.
Officials also seized a four-wheeler, two motorcycles, significant bank deposits, insurance policies, and postal savings. The searches were extended to a paternal house in Jamadeipur, Jajpur and a relative’s residence in Balrampur under Dharmasala police limits. The operation involved seven DSPs, five inspectors, seven assistant sub-inspectors, and other staff members. Investigations are ongoing, according to the Vigilance department.
