Vigilance detects properties worth Rs 6cr from DFO

Bhubaneswar: Vigilance sleuths on Wednesday detected properties worth Rs six crore including gold ornaments weighing about 500 grams in the possession of a senior forest department officer.

The properties, disproportionate to the known sources of income of Sudhansu Mishra, the divisional forest officer (DFO), Athagarh, Cuttack, were detected during simultaneous raids, Vigilance officials said.

Besides the DFO's office at Athgarh, raids were conducted in 10 places in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna, Koraput, Sonepur and Puri, they added.

"After secret verification of Mishra's documents, we have conducted simultaneous raids at 10 places. We have seized Rs 94 lakh cash and gold ornaments weighing around 500 gram from his residence in Cuttack," Director, Vigilance, R P Sharma told reporters.

While cash worth Rs 93.61 lakh was recovered from the residential house in Cuttack, fixed deposits in banks and post offices worth Rs 2.62 crore was detected. Besides, gold ornaments and gold coins weighing 551.39 gms worth Rs 8.26 lakh was also recovered from Mishra’s residence.

Vigilance officials said value of movable assets of Mishra has been estimated at Rs 1.12 crore. This involves residential plots at Gopalpur (Ganjam), Bolangir, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna and Bhubaneswar besides flats at Bhubaneswar, Puri and Bhawanipatna.