BHUBANESWAR: In a first of its kind seizure, sleuths of Odisha’s vigilance department on Friday allegedly confiscated documents with proof of investments worth ₹1.75 crore in crypto-currencies from the house of a 59-year-old additional chief engineer of state rural development department.
The senior engineer tried to throw the documents relating to his investment in crypto-currencies and a mobile phone, from the window of his apartment. But vigilance officers saw him and recovered the papers.
The vigilance department identified the official as Nihar Ranjan Das, additional chief engineer(planning, monitoring, design and investigation) of Bhubaneswar circle of rural water supply and sanitation wing of rural development department. He threw out a mobile phone and stacks of laminated documents containing details of his crypto-currency investments on Friday morning when the vigilance team was just about to start the raid on his premises over information that he amassed assets disproportionate to his known source of income.
“He had just tossed a bundle of papers and a mobile phone from the window of his apartment in Kharavela Nagar area of Bhubaneswar when our team of 5 Dy SPs and 12 inspectors saw it and quickly recovered. By this evening, our crypto-experts could ascertain that Das invested at least ₹1.75 crore in crypto-currencies... He has created a set of dummy names and e-mails for investments in crypto-currency,” said Yashwant Jethwa, director of vigilance department.
“This is the first case when our sleuths have found of a state government official suspected of amassing disproportionate assets investing in crypto-currency.”
{{/usCountry}}“This is the first case when our sleuths have found of a state government official suspected of amassing disproportionate assets investing in crypto-currency.”
{{/usCountry}}Vigilance officials who raided five other locations in Khurdha, Sambalpur and Bargarh districts of Odisha, said that apart from the investments in crypto-currency, Das was found to be in possession of an apartment worth ₹32.5 lakh, a three-storeyed building in Sambalpur town, 6 plots in prime area of Sambalpur town worth ₹1.27 crore, bank and insurance deposits worth about ₹64.42 lakh.