Odisha Vigilance arrests PEO who was found in possession of assets worth crores of rupees

Keonjhar: Odisha Vigilance has arrested a Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) in a disproportionate assets case after detecting properties and valuables worth crores of rupees that were allegedly beyond his known sources of income.

The accused was identified as Jitendra Kumar Jena, Panchayat Executive Officer of Bancho Gram Panchayat under Hatadihi Block in Keonjhar district. He was placed under arrest on charges of possessing disproportionate assets and was being forwarded to the court of the Special Judge (Vigilance), Keonjhar.

The arrest followed simultaneous searches conducted by Vigilance officials at multiple properties linked to the accused.

During the searches, the Vigilance found Jena in possession of several high-value assets. These include a triple-storeyed residential building, a double-storeyed market complex valued at more than Rs 1.34 crore, six plots, about 100 grams of gold, bank deposits amounting to Rs 34.06 lakh, and a four-wheeler.

Vigilance officials said that the accused failed to satisfactorily account for the source of these assets.

The agency has registered a case in this connection. Further investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the alleged disproportionate assets and possible links to corruption.