Odisha: Vigilance wing seizes Rs 3 crore during raids at state administrative officer’s multiple residences

The vigilance wing of Odisha Police, recovered over Rs 3 crore in cash during raids at multiple residences of a government officer on June 23. 

Huge amount of cash in possession of Prasanta Kumar Rout, an Odisha Administrative Officer (OAS) posted as the additional sub-collector in Nabarangpur district, was recovered at his residences during the multiple raids in Bhubaneswar. 

The wife of the accused officer allegedly threw six cash-stashed cartons on the terrace of their neighbor in Kanan Vihar and they were requested to hide the currency, when the personnel of the wing arrived at the location. 

The officers were able to recover the boxes from the neighbor’s house later on. They used multiple machines to count the amount of cash that was recovered. 

Along with Rs 89.5 lakh in cash, they also recovered gold ornaments from Rout’s Nabarangpur residence, stated the officials. 

“This is the second biggest recovery of cash from a government official in the state. In April 2022, we had recovered Rs 3.41-crore cash during raids on properties of Kartikeswar Roul, who was posted as an assistant engineer in Minor Irrigation Division in Ganjam district,” an official statement issued by the Vigilance Department said.

A total of nine teams of the department were involved in the raids. 

Rout was arrested in 2018 for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a panchayat executive officer while he was serving as a BDO in Sundargarh district.

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