Odisha: Forest ranger arrested in DA case, assets 372 pc above income
Bhubaneswar, July 9 (IANS) Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested a state government official after he and his family members were allegedly found in possession of movable and immovable assets worth crores, disproportionate to his known sources of income by 372 per cent.
The accused, Rabindra Kumar Nayak, who was serving as the Forest Ranger of Kendrapada Forest Range, was produced before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack, after his arrest on Thursday.
A case has been registered against him at the Kataka Vigilance Police Station under different sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
According to Vigilance officials, the anti-corruption agency on Wednesday launched simultaneous searches at properties linked to Nayak and his family members in connection with allegations of disproportionate asset accumulation.
The raids led to the detection of movable and immovable assets worth several crores. These include a four-storeyed residential building at Munduli in Baranga area, another building at Sahadapada in Banki area of Kataka, and six high-value plots in the Baranga area.
During the searches, the cops also seized cash worth Rs 2.14 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 283.5 grams, silver ornaments weighing 511 grams, bank deposits amounting to Rs 76 lakh, a four-wheeler, two two-wheelers and household articles valued at around Rs 22 lakh.
Following verification of the seized assets and an assessment of Nayak’s income and expenditure, the vigilance sleuths found him in possession of disproportionate assets amounting to 372 per cent of his known sources of income, which he allegedly failed to satisfactorily account for.
“After thorough search, inventory and further enquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of Rabindra Kumar Nayak, Forest Ranger, Kendrapada Forest Range were calculated, and he was found in possession of disproportionate assets which were 372 per cent in excess of his known sources of income,” said Odisha Vigilance.
It is worth noting that Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested a senior state government official who was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a Rs 2 lakh bribe from a leaseholder to extend a lease and facilitate future benefits in sand spot auctions.
–IANS
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