Bhubaneswar: After failing to trace senior IAS officer and former director of Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC), Binod Kumar during a raid at his residence yesterday, the officials of the anti-corruption agency once again conducted a raid today in a bid to arrest him.
The Vigilance sleuths also raided the residence of absconding OHRDC accountant Pradeep Rout in Niladri Vihar area of Bhubaneswar.
As per sources, a 5-member Vigilance team conducted a raid on the official residence of IAS Binod Kumar at VIP Colony in Nayapalli of Bhubaneswar. Though the sleuths failed to arrest him even today, few documents have reportedly been seized from him residence.
Sources further claimed that Kumar could not be arrested as he is reportedly absconding since his conviction.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Special Vigilance Court had pronounced Kumar and five other persons guilty in connection with financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 55 lakh in the corporation in 2000.
The Court had also issued non-bailable warrants (NBW) against five of them as they were absent in the Court for the hearing. However, another accused, the then Assistant Manager Sanjay Mohanty was awarded a jail term of three years as he deposed before the court for the hearing.
As many as 23 cases of financial irregularities and disproportionate assets are pending against the senior IAS officer who is currently holding the position of Officer on Special Duty in the Higher Education Department, sources added.