Malkangiri: A day after Odisha vigilance sleuths recovered a whopping Rs 1.55 crore cash from the residence of Deputy Director & PD Watershed, Malkangiri Santanu Mohapatra while carrying out multiple raids, the anti-corruption bureau in a release said he is suspected to have misappropriated government funds and was brought to Bhubaneswar for the inventory of his locker at SBI Bank, Kapilaprasad Branch.

As per the release, Mohapatra and his colleagues are suspected to have siphoned off government funds showing work done and making payments to labor accounts, which were then withdrawn and misappropriated. Large number of passbooks of laborers were reportedly recovered during searches at the residence of Biswajit Mandal, DEO and Amiyakanta Sahu, a contractual employee of the office. 

From preliminary investigation, it appears that the labourers' bank accounts were being operated by these functionaries to smoothly carry out withdrawal and misappropriation of government funds. A separate enquiry has been launched in this regard, and files connected to works shown completed in the last 2 years have been brought for scrutiny.

Enquiry has also revealed that one Alekh Chandra Pradhan operating a Jan Seva Kendra at Jagannath Prasad, Ganjam was acting as a conduit of Mohapatra in bribe collection. He was allegedly collecting bribes online from contractors and others on behalf of Mohapatra, and transferring the same to him later. During searches, evidence of transfers done by Pradhan to the tune of more than Rs 1 Crore since 2019 till 2024 have been gathered, Vigilance officials said in a release.

Following this, the location of Pradhan was searched, and he is being interrogated further.

On Wednesday, a team led by 2 Additional SPs, 4 DSPs, 10 Inspectors, 6 ASIs, and other supporting staff of Odisha Vigilance carried out simultaneous raids at seven places in Malkangiri, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar on the strength of search warrants issued by Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore. Apart from the huge amount of cash to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore, vigilance officials detected the following assets in the name of Mohapatra and his kin:

1. One triple-storey palatial building with area approx 6000 Sqft at Jeypore town, Koraput

2. Four high value plots in Bhubaneswar & Jeypore town. Details as under;

i) A piece of land vide plot No.625, Khata No.14 with area 33 dcml at Hanspal, Bhubaneswar.
ii) Two plots vide plot No.200/673 & 200/674, Khata No.46/496 & 46/501with area 40 dcml. at Jeypore town.
iii) A piece of land vide plot No.757/1468/7576, Khata No.263/4944 with area 55 dcml at Jeypore town.  
The measurement and valuation/assessment of the above building/ plots are being carried out by Vigilance Technical Wing.
3. Gold jewellery weighing approx. 300 gms. 
4.1 four wheeler (Hyundai i-20) & 2 two wheelers.
5.Bank, Insurance, other deposits and investments etc which are being ascertained.
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