BHUBANESWAR: Dismissed constable Prasanna Behera had illegally extended his government quarter in Capital’s Kalpana Square area. On receiving allegations of amassing disproportionate assets, the Directorate of Vigilance conducted searches and found out that Prasanna had constructed eight more rooms in his government quarter illegally.
The structures include three bedrooms, drawing room, dining room, puja room, kitchen and one bathroom.
Vigilance’s technical wing is carrying out measurements of the quarter’s extension and the value of the renovation.Five teams led by two DSPs, five inspectors and other officers conducted simultaneous searches at Prasanna’s government quarter, bar in Hotel South City at Patrapada, Spark Furniture private limited in Dumduma and its workshop in Lingipur, and a double-storeyed building at his native village - Nuapada in Khurda district.
Vigilance officers said Prasanna had purchased a plot measuring 0.250 acre in Dumduma in 2019 for over Rs 1.47 crore. The plot is registered in the names of Prasanna’s father who had retired as a havildar, his wife and brother.A building was constructed on the plot having a built up area of 18,000 sq ft, including basement and ground floor, having a market value of more than Rs 2 crore.
During searches, the anti-corruption agency’s officers also traced one plot at Nuapada in Khurda worth Rs 45 lakh which is registered in the name of Prasanna, a flat in Sundarpada having Rs 24 lakh market value and registered in his wife’s name, insurance deposits of over Rs 50 lakh, one SUV and a car, two multi-utility vehicles, one Royal Enfield bullet and a motorcycle.
“About 21 bank passbooks have been recovered during the searches so far. Vigilance’s Finance Wing and Forest Wing personnel along with professional furniture manufacturers have been roped in for valuation of costly items displayed in the showroom in Dumduma,” Vigilance Director YK Jethwa told TNIE.Prasanna, who had joined Odisha Police in 1995, and his brother were taking 32.5 per cent profit each from the Hotel South City bar’s owner. The constable was apprehended last week and was later dismissed from the service.