Odisha Vigilance Arrests Jr Mining Officer With Assets Worth Crores In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar:  Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested Keonjhar’s junior mining officer Padmanav Hota for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

According to a Vigilance release, he was found in possession of disproportionate assets including 3 multi-storey buildings (a 4-storey over 5800 sqft area in Bhubaneswar), 2 benami flats, 14 plots, a farmhouse over 5 acre with civil construction and other assets worth around Rs 70 lakh, deposits amounting to Rs 53 lakh, Rs 1 lakh in cash, and 300 gram gold, which he could not satisfactorily account for.

Assets recovered in the name of Hota and his family members during simultaneous searches at seven locations the previous day are as follows:

1)A four-storey building over 5,800 sqft area at Karodakanta, Bhubaneswar.

2) A double-storey building over 10,000 sqft area at Jagannathpur, Keonjhar.

3) One building at Jamadeipur Sasan, Tamka, Jajpur district.

4) A farm house spread over 5 acre at Madanpur under Ghasipura Tehsil in Koenjhar district with civil construction worth around Rs 70 lakh.

5) 14 plots (4 in prime areas of Bhubaneswar & Cuttack and 10 in Danagadi, Jajpur).

6) Bank deposits worth Rs 53 lakh.

7) Gold jewellery weighing 300 gram.

8) One four wheeler and 2 two wheelers.

9) Household articles worth around R.12 lakh.

Seven teams, comprising 7 DSPs, 5 inspectors, 8 ASIs, and other supporting staff, carried out the raids on the strength of search warrants issued by the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.