OSPCB Chief Engineer Held In Disproportionate Assets Case
Bhubaneswar, Feb 4: Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) Chief Engineer (Environmental) Rabi Narayan Prusty was arrested by the vigilance on Friday in a disproportionate assets case.
Vigilance sources here said a case has been registered against Prusty U/s 13(2) r/w 13(1)(b) of PC Act-1988 as amended by Prevention of Corruption (Amendment)Act-2018.
Prusty was forwarded to the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar after he was found in possession of disproportionate assets, which he could not account for satisfactorily. Simultaneous house searches were launched on the properties of Prusty at seven places in Bhubaneswar and Ganjam following allegations of possession of assets disproportionate to the known sources of his income.
During house searches, one flat at Patia Bhubaneswar, one flat at Shreekshetra Bhakta Niwas Puri, one flat at Phulnakhara, one shop at Khandagiri, three plots in prime localities of Bhubaneswar and nearby areas were detected. While the present market value of the flat at Puri is more than Rs. one crore, the flat at Fulnakara is more than Rs. 60 lakh and the market value of three plots in Bhubaneswar is likely to be in crores, the Vigilance department sources said.
In addition to it, the Vigilance sleuths also unearthed Bank, Insurance & Bond deposits worth Rs. 89.46 Lakhs, Gold ornaments weighing 355 gms & silver ornaments weighing 692 gms, 1 four-wheeler and 3 two-wheeler.
It is suspected that investments have been made by Prusty outside the state in real estate, including Benami properties, which are under verification. Moreover, Bank statements collected during searches are under scrutiny by the Chartered Accountant and Bank Consultant of Odisha Vigilance to look into suspected transactions made for the acquisition of Benami assets, if any.
