Odisha Officer With Over Rs 5 Crore Disproportionate Assets Arrested; Benami Accounts Detected

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Saturday arrested Nabarangpur additional sub-collector Prasanta Rout for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of crores of rupees.

Briefing the media, Vigilance Cell SP M Radhakrisna said that the tainted officer was found in possession of assets worth Rs Rs.5,21,09,659, which is 506% of his known sources of income. “During interrogation, he could not give a satisfactory reply about the source of the cash and other assets. Following which, he was arrested and will be forwarded to court,” he added.

He said further investigation is on into the Benami accounts through which he made transactions.

Besides multi-storey building, five plots, bank and insurance deposits of over Rs 62 lakh (Rs 21 lakh in Benami account) and 2 four-wheelers, cash worth over Rs 3 crore was seized from Rout’s residences in Bhubaneswar and Nabrangpur during raids by the anti-corruption agency on Friday.

ASSETS UNEARTHED

1) A double-storey building measuring plinth area of total 1942 sqft at HIG-115, Kanan Vihar, Bhubaneswar

2) 5 plots, including 4 in prime areas of Cuttack & Bhubaneswar and 1 benami plot at Umarkote, Nawarangpur, which is under verification.

The measurement and valuation/assessment of the building/plots is being carried out by Vigilance Technical Wing.

3) Bank & Insurance deposits over Rs 41 lakh.

4) 2 four wheelers (Innova & Maruti Swift) & 1 two wheeler (Honda Activa) worth Rs.37 lakh, cost of Innova car (benami) Rs.29,50,163 which is under verification.

5) Gold & silver jewellery and household articles worth over Rs.21.35 lakh.

According to a Vigilance release, Rout made regular cash deposits in a number of benami bank accounts. “Details of one such account opened in the name of an acquaintance in IndusInd Bank, Bhubaneswar, has been collected where in Rs 21 lakh cash deposits are suspected to have been made by him from 2019 onwards.”

He also spent Rs 87 lakh on the education of his children.

Also Read: Odisha Officer’s Kin Throws Cash-Stashed Cartons To Neighbour’s Terrace During Vigilance Raid; Rs 3.165 Cr Seized

The OAS officer joined service on July 1, 1996. He worked as tehsildar in Kendrapada, Jajpur, Balasore, Bargarh districts and as BDO in Jajpur, Cuttack, Kendrapada and Sundargarh districts. On November 6, 2018, Rout was arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 1 lakh bribe from Jhirpani Executive Officer for giving administrative approval to a project worth Rs 11.50 lakh. He was then serving as Block Development Officer (BDO), Bisra, in Sundargarh district.

Also Read: Celebrations In Nabarangpur After Odisha Vigilance Raid On Tainted Addl Sub-Collector

He was placed under suspension and reinstated on January 18, 2020, as the Additional Sub-Collector of Nabarangpur.

Also Read: Cash Seizure From Addl Sub-Collector Of Nabarangpur 2nd Highest By Odisha Vigilance