Odisha Vigilance unearths Rs 1 crore cash, 650 gram gold from Mines dept Additional Director, kin

Bhubaneswar: The Vigilance department sleuths today searched the house and other properties of Additional Director, Directorate of Mines, Umesh Chandra Jena at 13 locations in Khurda and Keonjhar districts of Odisha on the allegation of possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

As many as 13 teams of the Vigilance department comprising 10 DSPs, seven inspectors and other staff searched five locations in Bhubaneswar and Jena’s house at his native village at Sirisapal, the house of one of his relatives at Ghasipura, a building at Gamaharia and five other places in Keonjhar simultaneously.

During the searches, the Vigilance sleuths have unearthed Rs 1 crore in cash, 650 gram gold jewellery, one multi-storey building in Bhubaneswar, three buildings at Keonjhar, five plots in prime locations in Keonjhar district, a four-wheeler, two motorcycles, bank deposits and investments from the possession of Jena and his family members, sources said.

Jena’s son has claimed that he owns as many as seven business firms while his wife claimed commission income from insurance agency.

“Our officials are now verifying these claims. Further searches are on. We are also enquiring the sources of these assets of Jena and his family members,” said a Vigilance officer.