Two Odisha govt officials held for possessing assets, ''disproportionate'' to their incomes

Bhubaneswar, Dec 27 (PTI) Vigilance sleuths on Saturday arrested two Odisha government officials, including a forester, for allegedly amassing assets, disproportionate to their known sources of income, police said.

During search operations at properties of the forester, he was found in possession of two multi-storeyed buildings in Bhubaneswar and Koraput, seven high-value land parcels, approximately 1 kg of gold, deposits of Rs 66.42 lakh, Rs 9.28 lakh in cash, one four-wheeler and others, which are disproportionate to his income, the vigilance wing of the state police said in a statement.

The forester works under the Semiluguda Forest Range in the Koraput division.

In another case, the anti-corruption wing officials arrested a junior engineer in Malkangiri district for allegedly possessing assets, disproportionate to his income.

A search operation conducted on the properties of the engineer revealed that he had one three-storey building, eight valuable plots, Rs 2.11 lakh in cash, and one four-wheeler and others, which he could not account for satisfactorily, the vigilance said.

A case has been registered against the junior engineer, and an investigation is on. PTI AAM AAM BDC