Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance has unearthed huge assets, including two buildings and 11 valuable plots during searches at sites linked to Suresh Kumar Dalabehera, Principal of Government ITI in Balangir, who was arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000.
Other assets detected during the raids included gold jewellery weighing around 263 grams and cash amounting to Rs 5.16 lakh, a Vigilance statement said on Saturday.
The searches were conducted at multiple locations linked to Dalabehera and his family members after he was apprehended on Friday in a bribery case.
The assets unearthed so far include two buildings, one of which is a double-storeyed structure in Raurkela. Investigators have also detected 11 valuable plots in Raurkela, Sundaragada, Jatani, Kataka and Mahakalpada (Kendrapada district).
This apart, gold jewellery weighing around 263 grams, silver ornaments weighing approximately 2.5 kg and cash worth Rs 5.16 lakh have been found during the searches.
The Vigilance officials have also detected one Hyundai four-wheeler and three two-wheelers linked to the accused and his family members.
It may be noted that Dalabehera was apprehended by Vigilance sleuths November 6 while allegedly accepting Rs 30,000 from an instructor and other Guest Instructors of Government ITI, Balangir.
According to the complaint, the Principal had demanded a total bribe of Rs 1.15 lakh from nine Guest Instructors for their continuation in service and regular disbursement of salaries. He had allegedly threatened to disengage them if they failed to pay the demanded amount.
Following the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap at Balangir Railway Station and caught Dalabehera while accepting Rs 30,000 as an instalment of the alleged bribe. The entire tainted amount was recovered from his possession and seized.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches were launched at three locations linked to him to investigate allegations of possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Dalabehera has been arrested and is being forwarded to the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Balangir.
In this connection, Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Investigation is underway and Vigilance is verifying the assets unearthed during the searches.
