Odisha Vigilance Detects Assets Worth Crores & ‘Benami’ Investments During Raids On Civil Supplies Officer

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Wednesday unearthed two buildings, 19 plots and deposits worth Rs 1.72 crore during raids on Civil Supplies Officer (CSO), Sonepur, Suresh Kumar Panigrahi on allegation of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Benami investments (properties in the name of others) in petrol pump, fly ash factory and JCB machine is also suspected, an official release said.

The simultaneous house searches were conducted by teams led by 2 Addl. SPs, 3 DSPs, 7 inspectors, and other supporting staff on the strength of search warrants issued by Special Judge, Vigilance, Balangir, at 11 places in Bhubaneswar, Balangir, Sonepur, and Bargarh.

Assets found in the name of Panigrahi and his family members are as follows:

1. A double-storey building over 2500 sqft area at Tulashinagar, Balangir.

2. One building at Tulashinagar, Balangir.

3. 19 plots (3 in prime areas of Bhubaneswar, 4 in Sambalpur town, 1 in Balangir town, 1 in Bargarh town, 4 in Balanda and 6 in Bijepur in Bargarh district).

4. A farmhouse spread over 4 acres with 500 teak trees at Balanda village, Bijepur, Bargarh.

5. Bank, insurance, postal deposits and investment in mutual fund amounting to Rs 1,72,35,946.

6. Rs 1.49 lakh in cash.

7. A four-wheeler (Maruti Swift) & 2 two-wheelers.

The measurement and valuation/assessment of buildings /plots/farm house are being carried out by Vigilance Technical Wing. One locker at SBI Branch, Balangir, is yet to be opened, it said.

This apart, he is suspected to have invested in the following assets, which is in the name of his brother:

9. A petrol pump (Sidheswari fuel centre) in name of brother at Pahandi, Bijepur, Bargarh.

10. Investment in fly ash bricks factory at  Balanda village in the name of this brother.

11. A JCB excavator purchased in the name of brother.

The searches were carried out at these following places:

1) Residential house of Panigrahi at Tulasi Nagar, Balangir town.

2) His office chamber at Sonepur.

3) His paternal house at his native place Balanda village, Bijepur, Bargarh district.

4) Rented flat No. 7BD, 2nd Tower at Mani Tribhuban, Patia, Bhubaneswar.

5) Rented house of Panigrahi at Sonepur town.

6) House of his relative at Tulasi Nagar, Balangir.

7) Rented house of his relative at Flat No. 418, 5th Tower, Royal Lagoon, Patia, Bhubaneswar.

8) Rented house of his cousin at Gangadhar Sahi, Bargarh.

9) His flyash bricks factory and farmland at Balanda village, Bijepur, Bargarh.

10) Sidheswari Petrol Pump in the name of his cousin at Pahandi, Bijepur, Bargarh.

11) House of his another relative at Balanda village, Bijepur, Bargarh district.