Bhubaneswar: Separate teams of Odisha Vigilance Sunday carried out simultaneous raids at 15 different places linked to Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, his relatives and associates in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
The raids were conducted acting on Odisha Lokayukta’s order, a Vigilance press note said. According to the note, Panigrahy was found to have possessed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 5.05 crore.
Prior to the raids, a secret verification was conducted by Vigilance and material was found regarding possession of disproportionate assets by the MLA. Later, a complaint was filed before the Lokayukta December 9, 2020.
After finding substance in the complaint, the Lokayukta had directed Vigilance to conduct an inquiry against Panigrahy, the press release informed. Subsequently, an inquiry was conducted and the report was submitted to the Lokayukta May 28, 2021.
Based on the inquiry report and the reply filed by Panigrahy, the Lokayukta directed the Vigilance to carry out an investigation in the matter and conduct searches. Accordingly, a case was registered October 4, 2021 for a detailed investigation.
PNN
