The Vigilance sleuths on Monday carried out simultaneous raids at the house and property of Junior Engineer Bikash Behera, who was posted at Tileibani block of Deogarh district, on charges of accumulating assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Behera was bestowed with the responsibilities of Baniakilinda, Chhepilipali and Badchhapal Gram Panchayats in Tileibani block.
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Acting on a tipoff, a team comprising officials of Rourkela, Sundergarh, Deogarh and Jharsuguda Vigilance divisions under the supervision of DSP Birendra Nayak conducted raids at Behera’s residence at Balam village and his in-laws house at Kandhal village under Barkote block in the district.
The raids were being conducted on the strength of a search warrant issued by the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance in Sambalpur, said reports.
As the raids are still underway, the exact disproportionate assets unearthed is yet to be ascertained. However, sources said the anti-graft officials have recovered cash around Rs 4 lakh, important documents related to plots at different places and three vehicles during the searches.
Earlier on Sunday, the Odisha Vigilance arrested three Class-I officers of the State government after unaccounted cash of Rs 22.61 lakh was reportedly recovered from their possession.
The officers- Bidhan Chandra Sahu, superintending engineer (Irrigation) in Baitarini Division, Prakash Kumar Mohapatra and Narottam Behera, Regional Officers of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB)- were sent to judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected yesterday.