Odisha Vigilance raids 7 places linked to irrigation engineer in DA case (Ld)

Bhubaneswar, March 7 (IANS) The Odisha Vigilance Department on Saturday carried out coordinated searches at multiple locations linked to Pramod Ray, an assistant executive engineer of the Derabish Irrigation Sub-Division, following allegations that he possessed assets far beyond his known sources of income.The raids began early in the morning and covered seven premises across five districts, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Dhenkanal.The searches were conducted on the basis of warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, in Cuttack, after preliminary inquiries indicated large scale accumulation of wealth by the engineer.A big Vigilance team is leading the operation. The search squad included two additional superintendents of police, nine deputy superintendents of police, nine inspectors, and four assistant sub-Inspectors, supported by technical staff responsible for examining documents and assessing property values.Officials searched several properties associated with Ray and his relatives. In Bhubaneswar, investigators examined a four-storey building at Johala in Balianta and another residence in the Patia area.In Cuttack, a double-storey house at Jajabhairab in Chaudwar and Ray’s ancestral home in Ragadi under Banki were inspected.Searches were also conducted at the engineer’s office chamber and temporary residence inside the Derabish Irrigation Office premises in Kendrapara.Houses belonging to relatives in Budanga in Bhadrak district and Sanasathiebatia in Dhenkanal district were also covered in the search. Vigilance officials said the searches were still underway and experts were calculating the market value of the land, buildings and investments discovered during the operation.A detailed report on the assets and documents seized will be released after the investigation is completed.In recent months, the Vigilance wing has stepped up action against corruption among government officials in the state. Several officers from departments such as rural development, works, and revenue have faced raids over allegations of disproportionate assets.Earlier this year, Vigilance teams carried out raids on engineers and block-level officers across multiple districts, leading to the registration of criminal cases and suspension of officials pending inquiry.--IANSsnj/skp

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