Bhubaneswar: Territorial Forest Range Officer, Digapahandi in Ganjam district Kahnu Charan Pattnaik was arrested by the Odisha Vigilance in an interception case on Tuesday.
According to an official press release, the total cash seizure by Vigilance from Patnaik amounted to Rs 5,39,750.
Acting on reliable information regarding huge collection of cash by Pattnaik as illegal gratification from different sources, a team of Odisha Vigilance kept a close watch over his movement and activities.
Accordingly, late in the night on Monday, a team of the anti-corruption wing intercepted Patnaik on Digapahandi-Berhampur main road near Indian Oil Filling station at village Pitambarpur, while he was travelling from Digapahandi to Berhampur in a hired SUV. During interception, a sum of Rs 1,52,000 was recovered from him, which he could not account for satisfactorily. The entire cash has been seized.
Soon after the interception, simultaneous searches were conducted at Patnaik’s Government residential quarter and his office room at Digapahandi and his residential house located at Bank Colony, 2nd Lane, Berhampur.
During the searches, further cash of Rs 3, 46,500 and Rs 41,250 have been recovered from his house at Bank Colony, Berhampur and Govt. quarter at Digapahandi respectively.
With this total cash recovery is Rs 5, 39,750 which he could not account for satisfactorily.
In this connection, Berhampur Vigilance police station registered a case on June 26 against Patnaik under section 13 (2) read with 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. He has been arrested and is being forwarded to the Court.
