A five-member team of the vigilance department on Thursday carried out raids to arrest Vinod Kumar, senior IAS officer, who was convicted in a corruption case on Tuesday.
Vigilance sleuths searched Mr. Kumar’s official residence at VIP Colony in Nayapalli on Thursday, but they had to return empty-handed. They had also raided his residence on Wednesday evening.
Special vigilance court, Bhubaneswar, had issued non-bailable arrest warrants while convicting the 1989 batch IAS officer, who as managing director of the Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) was involved in arbitrary loan disbursement in the rural housing development programme
“We have so far conducted three rounds of searches. The officer is untraceable. It seems he is avoiding arrest. We are trying our best to find him out,” said Nirmal Mohanty, Deputy Superintendent of Police (vigilance).
If the officer is not traced by Friday, process would be initiated to declare him a proclaimed absconder and attach his property, he said.