Odisha: Asst Executive Engineer arrested for possession of disproportionate assets

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested a senior government official for amassing disproportionate assets worth crores. The disproportionate assets are 130 per cent higher than the accused officer’s known sources of income.

The officer identified as Biswanath Patro is currently posted as Assistant Executive Engineer at the Jeypore Block and is in-charge Jeypore Municipality of Koraput district.

“He was arrested by the vigilance and forwarded to the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore for possession of disproportionate assets (DA) to the tune of 130 per cent of his known sources of income, which he could not account for satisfactorily,” said a senior vigilance official.

On Tuesday, the vigilance teams led by one Additional SP, two DSPs, eight Inspectors, six ASIs, and other supporting staff carried out simultaneous searches at six places in Jeypore, Ganjam and Bhubaneswar linked to Patro.

The anti-corruption sleuths during the searches found Patro and his family possessing one triple-storeyed building at Jeypore town worth around Rs1.55 Crore, one double-storeyed building at Belaguntha area in Ganjam district, 18 landed plots including six in prime areas of Bhubaneswar, one each in Jeypore town and Berhampur town and ten plots at Jagannathprasad of Ganjam district.

Accused Patro has also been found in possession of deposits worth Rs 1.01 crore in Bank accounts and insurance policies, gold jewellery weighing 854 gms and silver ornaments weighing 1.8 Kg, cash, two 2-wheelers and household articles worth around Rs 7.70 lakhs.

A case (25/24) was registered at the Koraput Vigilance police station against Patro and his spouse under sections 13(2), 13(1)(b) and 12 PC (Amendment) Act, 2018.

As per reports, the state vigilance has registered as many as 90 cases against public servants in the past five months between June 1, 2024, and October 31, 2024.

The Vigilance Department has registered a maximum of 20 cases against officials from the Revenue Department while as many as 18 officials of the Panchayati Raj Department have fallen into the vigilance net during the above period.

–IANS