DA Case: Vigilance Raids Residences, Office Of Puri Industry Promotion Officer

The Vigilance sleuths on Wednesday carried out raids at multiple locations in connection with a disproportionate assets case registered against the Industry Promotion Officer (IPO) at the Puri District Industries Centre (DIC). 
The anti-corruption agency conducted the simultaneous raids at five places including the houses and office of IPO Sitaram Sahu, sources said.

According to sources, as many as eight Vigilance teams led by four DSPs, five inspectors and other officials conducted the raids at Sahu’s rented house at Mahaveer apartment in Puri and owned properties at Nayagarh, Kalinga Vihar in Bhubaneswar, ancestral house in Kantilo and his office in Puri.

Initially, Sahu was questioned at his office in Puri and afterwards taken to Nayagarh by the Vigilance team.

Sahu has been working at the Puri DIC office since the last five years. The raids at his properties by the anti-corruption agency followed several complaints against him over accepting bribe to approve loans to young entrepreneurs in the State.

However, the exact value of properties amassed by Sahu is yet to be assessed by the Vigilance officials.
“Currently, simultaneous raids are going on at five places. We will announce the exact amount of property amassed by Sahu once the searches are over,” said a senior Vigilance officer.

It is worth mentioning that earlier on August 5, the Vigilance officials had raided the houses and offices of Puri District Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Prashant Swain over disproportionate assets charges.
During searches at his Puri office, the anti-corruption agency had seized Rs 43,000 cash, bank passbooks and many incriminating documents.