IFS officer DA case: Odisha Vigilance forms 20-member SIT

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance has formed a 20-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the alleged possession of disproportionate assets worth crores by suspended IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak. The Odisha Government suspended him today, hours after he and his son Akash Kumar Pathak were arrested by Vigilance and remanded to judicial custody till December 9.

“A 20-member SIT has been formed to thoroughly investigate all aspects. Addl. S.P., Vigilance Cell is investigating the case under close supervision of SP and DIG, Vigilance Cell. Services of Cyber and Cell Phone Forensic experts are being requisitioned for retrieving mobile and computer related data from the seized devices,” the Vigilance said in a release.

The bureaucrat was found in possession of disproportionate assets of Rs 9,35,42,594 beyond his known sources of income (435% of total income from all known sources), which he could not account for satisfactorily. 

Since huge cash deposits have been made in private banks through deposit slips and ATM counters and high value transactions have been made in the accounts, details of operations of the concerned banks in this regard are being probed. Similarly, since the bookings and payments in respect of chartered flights have been made through Bhubaneswar-based travel agencies, their role is being investigated.

Details of income tax returns, investments in shares, mutual funds and other market instruments are also being ascertained. Further, the aspects of benami transactions and properties are also being looked into by the anti-corruption agency.