Engineer arrested on graft charges in Odisha; over Rs 2.70 cr disproportionate assets found

Nayagarh: Vigilance sleuths today arrested Rural Development  Assistant Executive Engineer of Ranpur in Nayagarh district, Rusinath Barala, after unearthing disproportionate assets to the tune of over Rs 2.70 crore from his possession.

Yesterday, four separate teams of the anti-graft wing conducted simultaneous raids at four places associated with him in Khordha, Nayagarh and Dhenkanal districts. The teams including four DSPs and eight Inspectors, conducted the raids on the strength of a search warrant issued by Dhenkanal Vigilance Special Judge Court.

A triple-storeyed building at Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar, a single-storeyed building at Sadangi village in Dhenkanal, nine plots, including seven in Sadangi village and one each in Chandrasekharpur and Gothpatna, a four-wheeler, a two-wheeler, bank deposits of over Rs.44.73 lakh, insurance deposits of over Rs 13.42 lakh, gold and silver jewelry worth over Rs 9.04 lakh and cash of Rs 1.30 lakh, among other movable
and immovable property, were unearthed during the search drive. This apart, demonetized currencies amounting to Rs 35,000 were recovered during the house search.

After thorough search and inventory, the official was found to have possessed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 2,70,05,496, which constituted 397% of his known sources of income, said an official statement issued by Vigilance.

Yesterday, a case was registered at Cuttack Vigilance police station against him and his spouse under Sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(b) and 12 of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act-2018. Today, he was arrested and produced before court today. Further investigation in this connection is underway.