Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Friday unearthed five buildings and nine plots during raids on properties linked to Antaryami Sahu, Forest Range Officer of Kashipur Forest Range under Rayagada Forest Division in Rayagada district on allegation of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The assets detected in the name of Sahu and his family members are as follows:
Residential Property
1) One building over 2250 sqft area at Baliguda, Kandhamal.
2) Another building over 1000 sqft area at Baliguda, Kandhamal.
3) Another building over 1600 sqft area at Sriniketan under Daringbadi police limits in Kandhamal.
4) Another building over 1650 sqft area at Techno Park, Berhampur.
5) Another building at Daringbadi, Kandhamal.
Land Parcels
Nine valuable plots – 6 on the outskirts of Baliguda town, one at Jogiapalli in Berhampur and two at Kodasingh in Ganjam.
The Vigilance release further stated that bank, postal & insurance deposits and other investments are being ascertained. A locker at SBI, Baliguda Branch, is yet to be opened.
The simultaneous searches were conducted at nine places in Kandhamal, Ganjam, Nayagarh, and Rayagada districts on the strength of search warrants issued by Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore.
Service Record
Incidentally, Sahu worked as a forest official for over 16 years in Kandhamal district.
He joined the government service as a forester on April 9, 2007, and underwent training at Bhubaneswar for a year. He was posted as forester at Baliguda Forest Section from April 20, 2008, to August 11, 2011; Tumudibandha Forest Section from August 17, 2011, December 8, 2013; Kotagarh Forest Section from December 15, 2013 to November 7, 2015, and K Nuagaon Forest Section from November 11, 2015, to June 17, 2018.
On promotion to the post of Deputy Ranger, he was posted at the Baliguda DFO office in Kandhamal from June 18, 2018, to August 4, 2023. He was promoted as Forest Range Officer and posted at Kashipur Forest Range on August 10, 2023.