KENDRAPARA: Vigilance officials on Thursday arrested Kendrapara forest range officer on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The officer, Rabindra Kumar Nayak, was found to have amassed assets worth 372 per cent more than his legitimate income. Simultaneous searches conducted at multiple locations linked to him led to the detection of several movable and immovable properties.
Vigilance officials said the searches unearthed a four-storey residential building with a built-up area of 7,038 sq ft at Munduli in Cuttack, another house at Sahadapada village under Banki police limits, and six plots in Baranga area.
Officials also detected bank deposits worth Rs 76 lakh, cash amounting to Rs 2.14 lakh, 283.5 grams of gold ornaments, 511 grams of silver ornaments, one four-wheeler, two motorcycles, household articles worth around Rs 22 lakh, and additional household items valued at nearly Rs 14 lakh, besides other movable and immovable assets.
Vigilance officials said Nayak failed to satisfactorily account for the assets detected during the searches, following which he was arrested. Nayak was produced before the Vigilance Court in Cuttack on Thursday. The court rejected his bail plea and remanded him to judicial custody.
Notably, Nayak joined the Forest department as a forester in Puri in 1988 with a monthly salary of Rs 1,000. He was promoted to deputy ranger in 2016 and served in Chilika, Chandaka, Mahanadi and Bhubaneswar forest divisions. In 2021, he was elevated to the post of forest range officer and subsequently served in Athagarh and Kendrapara forest ranges.