Two Odisha Government Officials in Vigilance Net

Bargarh/Paradip: Vigilance sleuths on Saturday raided the residences and offices of two government officials on charges of amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

As per reports, the Vigilance officials today conducted raids on the office and residences of the Assistant Engineer of Lift Irrigation Department in Bargarh district, Baikuntha Rout.

Simultaneous raids were conducted at several places including Rout’s office and residence at Gangadhar Nagar area in Bargarh, his rented house in Bhubaneswar and paternal home in Jajpur district, said sources.

Though the exact amount of assets unearthed in the raids is yet to be ascertained, sources said that important documents have also been seized by the officials of the anti-corruption wing.

In another case, Bishrant Kumar Sethy, the senior Inspector of Legal Metrology Department in Paradip, was detained by the Vigilance officials on Friday after Rs 1.70 lakh 'unaccounted' cash was found in his possession during a raid at his office in Madhuban area. When Sethy could not produce satisfactory details regarding the source of the money, the officials detained him for further interrogation, said sources.

Searches were also carried out reportedly at Sethy’s rented house at Udayabata in Paradip, paternal home at Jabara in Jajpur district and in-laws house in Uluda of Balasore district. There are allegations that Sethy used to take bribe from oil tankers and petrol pump owners during his stint as Assistant Controller in Jagatsinghpur Legal Metrology department.