Post News Network
Cuttack, August 17: Suspended IPS officer Satish Gajbhiye Monday faced fresh trouble as the vigilance department questioned him here for more than 90 minutes about his various properties in Puri district.
The former Kendrapara SP was questioned by the vigilance officials from 5 pm to 6.50 pm Monday, sources said.
Vigilance officials questioned him about the eight acres of land which he has purchased using his wife Ranjana Gajbhiye’s name. He was also questioned about the 30 acres of government land in Puri district which he has allegedly encroached upon.
“We questioned Gajbhiye about his various properties in Gop block of Puri district,” Vigilance IGP YB Khurania said.
Earlier, the state government had suspended Gajbhiye for using force against anti-Sarathi Baba protestors in Kendrapara August 7.
Social activists representing 28 civil society groups in the state, who work on various land scams, had lodged a petition with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleging that Gajbhiye had purchased more than 35 acres of agricultural land in the name of his wife from the villagers of Alana, Baulanga and Barimunda villages in 2012 and 2013.
The petition also alleged that he had acquired and encroached upon 40 acres of pasture and government land including the riverbed of Kadua. This was meant for digging of ponds for fishing.
Local farmers have alleged that he has even blocked the flow of a river to facilitate his fish farm.
After the allegations surfaced, a joint team of vigilance and revenue department officials had recently visited Puri district to investigate into Gajbhiye’s properties in the area.
The suspended IPS officer was in the past also questioned by the CBI for his alleged links with Seashore Group.
Gajbhiye, however, remained defiant and told the media that all the properties which he had purchased in his wife’s name were in public domain. He had filed it in his asset disclosures.
Meanwhile, crime branch (CB) officials are continuing to tighten noose on arrested self-styled godman Sarathi Baba.
A team Monday reached Hyderabad to investigate about Sarathi’s stay in a hotel there with an MBBS student of SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Sources said the CB officials are also probing about Srimad Sarathi Power Construction Private Limited where the godman allegedly invested money.