Vigilance arrests Idcol official, property over Rs 10 crore found

BHUBANESWAR: The Vigilance on Thursday arrested Gaya Santara, a senior official of Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha limited (Idcol), for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets (DA) amounting to over Rs 10 crore.

Santara, who is working as a joint manager at Idcol’s Ampavalli Limestone Mines in Koraput district, was found in possession of a three-storey building at Mancheswar Industrial Estate and an under construction four-storey building at Jaydev Vihar in Bhubaneswar.

Besides, Santara was found in possession of seven plots in Bhubaneswar, five in Jajpur and one plot in Nayagarh district, bank deposits to the tune of Rs 4.44 crore, Rs 1.6 crore cash, gold and silver ornaments weighing 1.96 kg and 7.500 kg respectively, among other assets.

So far this year, Vigilance has registered 270 cases, including 60 against class-I officers. Out of them, 75 are related to amassing DA, 114 are trap cases and remaining are other corruption cases. Last year, the anti-corruption agency had registered the highest number of DA cases in the country.

“We have seized the highest amount of cash this year. About Rs 7 crore cash was seized and overall disproportionate assets amounting to Rs 160 crore were unearthed,” said Vigilance director YK Jethwa.

As far as prosecution is concerned, we have achieved conviction in 87 cases so far this year. The conviction rate stands at about 50 per cent.We have also prioritised on the completion of investigation and submission of chargesheets, especially of old cases, said Jethwa.