Odisha Vigilance Arrests Forest Range Officer With Assets Exceeding Income By 214%

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested Dhenkanal forest range officer Bibhudananda Mishra for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

A wildlife case has also been instituted against him for keeping Indian peafowl in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

According to a Vigilance release, a high-value flat in Bhubaneswar, 2 more in Hyderabad, 8 plots in Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal, a farmhouse with civil construction work worth Rs 2 crore at Rahangol village in Athagarh, deposits amounting to Rs 1 crore, Rs 5.15 lakh in cash, including Rs 1 lakh found concealed in a toilet flush tank, gold weighing 557 grams and two four wheelers were detected during simultaneous searches on properties linked to the official, which he could not account for satisfactorily.

Raids were conducted at Mishra’s government quarters and office chamber in Dhenkanal, parental house at Birakishorepur in Athagarh, his farmhouse in Rahangol, flat in the capital city and other places.

Officers of Forest Wing of Odisha Vigilance along with local Forest staff of Dhenkanal Range also seized 4 peafowls from his farmhouse. A case has been registered against him under Sections 9, 39 and 51 of Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

Movable and immovable assets worth crores were unearthed in the name of Mishra and his family members are as follows:

1) One double-storey building over 4,605 sqft area at Ratna Bazaar, Dhenkanal town.

2) One flat at Brinda Basera, GGP Colony, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar.

3) 2 flats at Kaushalya Infra Projects Private Limited, Nanakramguda, Hyderabad.

4) A farm along with multi-storey farmhouse and other constructions worth Rs 2.32 crore over 5 acres at Rahangol, Athagarh, Cuttack.

5) 8 plots in upscale areas of Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal.

6) Rs 1.05 crore bank, postal & insurance deposits and investment in shares.

7) Rs.5,15,840, including Rs 1 lakh concealed in flush tank, in cash.

8) Gold jewellery weighing 557 grams, 2 Diamond necklace sets, and silver weighing 500 grams.

9) 2 four-wheelers (Hyundai Creta & Kia Sonet) and 6 two-wheelers.

10) Household article worth Rs 20.08 lakh.

“After thorough search, inventory and further enquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of the Forest Range Officer, were calculated and he was found in possession of disproportionate assets which were 214% in excess of his known sources of income.” the release added.

Sources said Mishra had joined as a forester on ad-hoc basis in August 1987. He was appointed as a regular forester a year later in 1988. In 2016, he was promoted to forest ranger.