Bhubaneswar, Dec 21 (IANS) The Odisha Vigilance continues to tighten the noose around corrupt public servants in the state with the arrest of another senior officer on Sunday on charges of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income by 232 per cent, a senior official said.

The accused officer has been identified as Rajendra Kumar Samantray, who is posted as Forest Range Officer, Rahama Forest Range, in Jagatsinghpur district. On the allegation of possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, the Odisha Vigilance conducted simultaneous searches at multiple properties linked to Samantray on Saturday.

The searches were carried out by four teams of Odisha Vigilance comprising two Additional Superintendents of Police, five Deputy Superintendents of Police, eight Inspectors, and other supporting staff. The raids were conducted on the strength of search warrants issued by the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack.

The places where searches were carried out included a triple-storeyed residential building at Chatara, a double-storeyed building at his native village, Samantarayapur, his office located at Forest Range, Sampur, and a government quarter located in the campus of Jagatsinghpur Forest Range under the Cuttack Forest Division.

During the searches, the anti-corruption sleuths detected Samantray and his family members in possession of assets worth crores of rupees. The assets found included one palatial multi-storeyed building, five valuable plots, cash amounting to Rs 3.69 lakh, gold weighing 250 grams, and bank deposits worth Rs 80.68 lakh, among others.

“After a thorough search, inventory and further enquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of Rajendra Kumar Samantray, Forest Range Officer, Rahama Forest Range, Jagatsinghpur district, were calculated and he was found in possession of disproportionate assets which were 232 per cent in excess of his known sources of income,” informed the Vigilance official.

According to reports, the Odisha Vigilance has apprehended 271 government employees, including 20 police officials, after they were caught red-handed in bribery cases over the last 18 months, highlighting the state’s intensified drive against corruption.

–IANS

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