Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Saturday arrested Dhaneswar Barad, Excise Superintendent, Raurkela, following the seizure of Rs 5 lakh in suspected ill-gotten cash, officials said.
Barad was arrested in an interception case and forwarded to the Special Judge, Vigilance, Sundaragada. The Raurkela Vigilance Police Station registered a case (No. 12 dated September 11) against him under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
According to the Vigilance, it had received reliable information that Barad was allegedly collecting large amounts of bribe money from excise licensees and had been keeping a watch on him.
On Friday night, a Vigilance team intercepted a Scorpio in front of the Excise Superintendent’s Office at Uditnagar in Raurkela. The vehicle was allegedly carrying Rs 5 lakh in cash through a salesman of a local wine shop. In the presence of witnesses, the cash was recovered and seized.
The salesman allegedly told the Vigilance officials that Barad had given him the money for delivery at the officer’s residence. During questioning, Barad also admitted that the cash had been sent through the salesman, the agency said, adding that he could not provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of the money.
Following the seizure, simultaneous searches were conducted at Barad’s residential premises at Civil Township in Raurkela and at a double-storeyed building in Raghunathpur, Bhubaneswar.
During the searches, Vigilance officials unearthed a double-storeyed building measuring around 2,700 sq ft at Raghunathpur, four plots—including one in Bhubaneswar and three on the outskirts of Nayagada—and deposits amounting to Rs 33.97 lakh. Documents relating to other investments and deposits were also recovered and are being verified.
After assessment of his income, expenditure and assets, Barad was found to be in possession of disproportionate assets allegedly 100 per cent in excess of his known sources of income, the Vigilance said.
Further investigation is underway.
