Bhubaneswar, Aug 23 (FN Agency) The officers of the Vigilance department today conducted raids at nine places of six retired government officials spread over four districts in connection with a major land fraud case. Vigilance sources here said raids are being conducted in Bhubaneswar (Khurda) Cuttack, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur districts. Charges of criminal misconduct, misappropriation, forgery and criminal conspiracy by the accused in illegally settling valuable Government land under the Odisha Government Land Settlement Act in favour of in-eligible beneficiaries under the Vasundhara scheme.
As many as 9 teams led by one Additional SP, 11 DSPs, 6 Inspectors are conducting the raids. The raids are being conducted at the places of Ramesh Chandra Panda, Ex-Tehsildar, Kujang, Mahendra Prasad Mohanty, Ex- Sub-Collector, Jagatsinghpur, Santosh Kumar Mallick, Ex-Revenue Inspector, Jhimani, RI Circle, Narendra Kumar Lenka, Ex-Revenue Inspector, Paradeep Garh, Subash Chandra Das, Ex- Revenue Inspector, Kujanga and Jyoti Bhusan Barik an Ex- Revenue Inspector of Pandua Circle. The Vigilance department had registered a case under Sections 13(2),13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 and Sections 466/409/120-B of the Indian Penal Code in this connection.