Bhubaneswar: A team of Odisha Vigilance took Prasanta Kumar Rout, former Additional Sub-Collector of Nabarangpur, on a five-day remand on orders passed by the Special Judge Vigilance, Sundargarh, on June 28 and interrogated in connection with the disproportionate assets (DA) case.
Following interrogation, three more plots including one at Bhadrak measuring around 1.15 decimals in the name of Rout’s wife, two benami plots – one at Malipada in Bhubaneswar measuring 0.16 decimals and another at Bhadrak measuring 0.47 decimals were unearthed.
During interrogation, Rout confessed to having opened six benami bank accounts in the names of different persons and deposited Rs 1.2 crore. This apart, one bank locker was traced at UCO Bank, Bhadrak.
On June 24, Rout was arrested by Odisha Vigilance and forwarded to the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Sundargarh, for possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 5,21,09,659 (which is 506% more than his known sources of income). He was unable to provide any satisfactory answer regarding the possession of these assets.
Rourkela Vigilance police station registered a case (No.15/2023) against Rout in this connection and his spouse under Sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(b)/ 12 Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation into the case is underway.
