Odisha vigilance arrest OPHWC Deputy Manager for possessing disproportionate assets of over Rs.14 cr

Bhubaneswar, Nov 10 (Representative) Deputy Manager of the Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation (OPHWC) Pratap Kumar Samal was arrested by the Odisha vigilance police for possessing assets disproportionate to his income. Vigilance sources said Mr Samal was arrested today and will be forwarded to the court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar. After thorough searches, disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 14,87,41,194 were unearthed . Mr Samal and his spouse were found in possession of huge disproportionate assets, which they could not explain satisfactorily, A case u/s 13(2) r/w 13(1)b /12 PC Act 1988, as amended by PC (Amendment) Act 2018, has been registered against Pratap Kumar Samal and his wife Sasmita Samal.

The search which started yesterday morning was completed early this morning. Vigilance sources said the RSD value of 25 plots including registration and stamp duty is Rs.3,41,58,412 but the actual price is likely to be higher. Valuation of 5 storeyed Building at Gothapatna is Rs.3,89,60,000 as per self declaration of Mr Samal and his wife.Technical valuation of other buildings is being done by the Technical Wing of Odisha Vigilance. A sum of Rs 1,61,35,812.50 is found in Bank Accounts of Samal and family. The Vigilance department has freezed the bank accounts. Vigilance sources said Mr.Samal has paid insurance premium to the tune of Rs 57, 72,150 As many as 10 teams of Odisha Vigilance led by one Additional SP, 5 DSPs and 7 Inspectors besides other staff conducted searches yesterday at twelve locations on the strength of a search warrant issued by the Court of Special judge, Bhubaneswar. The searches were made on the allegations of possession of assets by Mr Samal disproportionate to the known sources of his income. Mr Samal , a diploma holder in Civil Engineering had joined the Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation in August 1988 as a Junior Engineer in Bhubaneswar. He worked at Rourkela, Bolangir, Keonjhar and Cuttack and later joined Bhubaneswar in 2019