Tito Link: Vigilance Sleuths Raid More Govt Offices

Kendrapara: As a part of the ongoing probe into the alleged nexus between some government officials with arrested gangster Syed Usman Ali alias Tito, the vigilance sleuths on Friday raided Kendrapara Municipality, Sub-Registrar, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) and Roads & Building offices and a branch of IDBI Bank here.

Following simultaneous raids, the anti-corruption officials verified and seized several official documents and papers.

On Wednesday, similar raids were also conducted on seven government offices in Kendrapara district to unearth the alleged links between officials and the gangster.

Simultaneous raids were carried out on RTO offices in Cuttack, Chandikhol and Kendrapara, Derabish and Garadpur tehsil offices, Supply office and the Kendrapara Municipal office, where several documents were seized.

The move came after the vigilance department came to know about some officials extending undue favours to the gangster.

Meanwhile, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch has taken the gangster on fresh remand of four days to interrogate him in connection with extortion and tender fixing cases.

He was earlier taken on remand for twelve days in three phases for interrogation on his criminal activities and business links.

The Crime Branch had also arrested four of Tito’s associates, identified as Golden Papu, SK Abdulla, Imtiaz Khan and Jahangir Khan.

On July 20, the Crime Branch sleuths had seized a gold-studded watch worth Rs 6 lakh of the gangster in Kendrapara district.

The STF has already sealed a furniture showroom owned by one of Tito’s relatives at Marsaghai in Kendrapara district. The raid was conducted after it came to know that the gangster had invested on this establishment.

The STF officials had also interrogated Tito’s wife Benazir Bibi at her residence at Dilarpur in the district for more than an hour over firms, petrol pumps and a luxurious car she owns.

Properties, including land, vehicles and houses, worth Rs 2 crore belonging to the gangster have also been unearthed during raids at different places.