Bhadrak: Former Minister and Bhandaripokhari MLA Prafulla Samal landed in trouble after a team of Enforcement Directorate officials carried out a raid on his house in Odisha's Bhadrak district here today.

As per reports, the raids were carried out in ten other places including four in Bhadrak district and six in Bhubaneswar after allegations of financial mismanagement and irregularities of around Rs 30 crore in Barapada Engineering College came to the fore. It is being alleged that Samal's son illegally appropriated funds from the college to buy land and later hand it over to builders. Sources said the legislator along with his son Prayaskanti had built an engineering college in Bhubaneswar's Ghangapatana and then sold it off.

Employees of the college had also aired grievances of non-payment of salaries and raised this issue multiple times with the district administration, MLA and college authorities but to no avail. While the matter was still sub judice, demands for a vigilance and ED raid had gathered steam for a while.

Searches were carried out in the legislator's house at Sabana Bazaar, house at Palaspalli in Bhubaneswar along with the house of former principal of the institution at Apartibindha. Official sources informed that information regarding financial mismanagement will be shared only after the raids are completed.

Further details are awaited.