Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 (IANS) The Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested an Executive Engineer and his close associate in Mayurbhanj district of the state for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets amounting to around 309 per cent of his known sources of income.
The accused public servant was identified as Arabinda Mohanty, Executive Engineer in the R&B Sub-Division at Betanati, under R&B Division, Baripada, in Mayurbhanj district.
Mohanty’s close associate, who is also a contractor, was identified as Biswanath Pal. Both the accused persons were arrested in connection with a DA case (25/26) registered against Mohanty, his spouse and associate Pal at the Baleshwar Vigilance Police Station. The duo was forwarded to the court of the Special Judge, Vigilance at Baripada on Wednesday.
During house searches, Vigilance officials unearthed several movable and immovable assets belonging to Mohanty and his family members. These included a triple-storeyed building at Angargadia in Baleshwar district and a double-storeyed building at Balianta in Khordha district.
The sleuths also unearthed a five-acre farmhouse at Basantapur in Baleshwar district, along with two fishponds and a poultry farm. The searches further revealed 23 high-value plots, including 21 in and around Baleshwar town and two at Balianta in Bhubaneswar. Vigilance also found Rs 10.57 lakh in cash, around 800 grams of gold ornaments, deposits of Rs 69.69 lakh, one four-wheeler and two two-wheelers. Household articles valued at around Rs 12.32 lakh were also detected. During the searches, the cops also carried out searches at the house of Mohanty’s close associate Pal in Baleshwar.
“During DA searches against Mohanty, the house of his active partner Pal was also searched at Baleshwar, where Mohanty had kept land documents of 20 plots and the same were retrieved. Some documents were found buried in the earth when raids were conducted. Those were also retrieved by digging the earth,” informed the Vigilance Department in a statement.
The officials also found a benami locker in Pal’s name, which contained Rs 2.94 lakh in cash and around 500 grams of gold allegedly belonging to Mohanty. Vigilance said Pal was booked for allegedly abetting the concealment of the disproportionate assets acquired by Mohanty.
“After thorough search, inventory and further enquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of Arabinda Mohanty, Executive Engineer were calculated, and he was found in possession of disproportionate assets which were 309% in excess of his known sources of income,” added Odisha vigilance.
–IANS
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