December 4th 2024.
In a shocking turn of events, a senior government official in Bhubaneswar, Odisha has been arrested by the vigilance department for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth crores of rupees. The accused, identified as Biswanath Patro, is currently serving as an Assistant Executive Engineer at the Jeypore Block and is responsible for overseeing the Jeypore Municipality in the Koraput district.
According to a senior vigilance official, Patro's assets were found to be 130 per cent higher than his known sources of income, leading to his arrest and subsequent presentation before the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore. The official also stated that Patro was unable to satisfactorily account for the massive difference in his assets and income.
A team of vigilance officers, including an Additional SP, two DSPs, eight Inspectors, six ASIs, and supporting staff, conducted simultaneous searches at six locations in Jeypore, Ganjam, and Bhubaneswar that were linked to Patro. During these searches, the officials were shocked to discover that Patro and his family owned a triple-storeyed building in Jeypore worth Rs1.55 crore, a double-storeyed building in Belaguntha, 18 plots of land (including prime areas in Bhubaneswar), and various other assets.
Further investigations revealed that Patro had deposits worth Rs 1.01 crore in his bank accounts, along with insurance policies, gold and silver ornaments, cash, two 2-wheelers, and household articles worth approximately Rs 7.70 lakhs. As a result, a case was registered against Patro and his spouse under sections 13, 13, and 12 of the PC Act, 2018 at the Koraput Vigilance police station.
This incident is not an isolated one, as the state vigilance department has reportedly registered a staggering 90 cases against public servants in the past five months between June 1, 2024, and October 31, 2024. Out of these, the maximum number of cases (20) were against officials from the Revenue Department, followed by 18 cases against officials from the Panchayati Raj Department.
The vigilance department's efforts to curb corruption and hold public servants accountable for their actions are commendable and necessary for the betterment of society. Such incidents serve as a reminder for all government officials to uphold their duty with integrity and honesty.
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