BHUBANESWAR: Vigilance on Thursday carried out simultaneous searches at various property linked to Dhenkanal forest range officer Bibhudananda Mishra on allegations of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
During the raids, Mishra was found in possession of a farmhouse, two flats in Hyderabad and other assets worth crores. Mishra and his family members own a two-storey building in Dhenkanal town, two flats in Hyderabad and one in Bhubaneswar, a farmhouse spread over 5 acre land at Athagarh in Cuttack and eight plots in the capital city and Dhenkanal.
This apart, he was found in possession of bank/postal/insurance deposits and investment in shares amounting to Rs 1.05 crore, gold and silver ornaments weighing 557 gm and 500 gm respectively, two diamond necklaces, two cars and six two-wheelers.
“During searches, Rs 5.15 lakh cash including Rs 1 lakh cash which he concealed in the toilet flush tank was traced. A probe has been launched to ascertain the source of the money through which Mishra accumulated such huge wealth,” said a Vigilance officer. The anti-corruption agency will also carry out valuation of the poultry farm and horticulture nursery at Mishra’s farmhouse at Rahangol village in Athagarh. On the day, Vigilance carried out searches at eight places in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal linked to Mishra.
Raids were conducted at Mishra’s government quarters and office chamber in Dhenkanal, parental house at Birakishorepur in Athagarh, his farmhouse in Rahangol, flat in the capital city and other places.
Sources said Mishra had joined as a forester on ad-hoc basis in August 1987. He was appointed as a regular forester a year later in 1988. In 2016, he was promoted to forest ranger.