Odisha Vigilance officers uncover 52 plots 6 buildings linked to senior excise officer

Bhubaneswar, Jul 30 (PTI) Two days after uncovering 34 plots and houses owned by an engineer, anti-corruption vigilance officers in Odisha detected 52 plots and six multi-storey buildings linked to a senior officer in the excise department.
    Acting on complaints that the officer possessed property exceeding his known sources of income, a team of vigilance officers, including 10 DSPs, 15 inspectors, and other staff, on Monday raided 10 locations associated with Rama Chandra Mishra, joint commissioner of the excise department.
    The team found six multi-storey buildings, 52 plots, approximately 230 grams of gold, and other items in Mishra's and his family's possession, an official said.
    A release by the vigilance department stated that Mishra is being questioned to determine the source of these assets. The assessment of investments in shares, mutual funds, and premium deposits in insurance companies is still ongoing.
    "More assets are likely to be uncovered, and the overall valuation is expected to increase," the official added.
    The searches are being conducted under warrants issued by the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar, he added.
    The official noted that Mishra, who joined government service as a sub-inspector 30 years ago and was promoted to joint commissioner, is due to retire in eight months.
    Mishra, however, denied the allegations, claiming he has not acquired wealth through improper means.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)