6 teams to probe corruption charges against IAS officer

Six teams comprising senior officers have been formed by the Odisha Vigilance department for expeditious probe into the corruption case against arrested IAS officer Partha Sarathi Mishra.

"Considering the voluminous documents, records and importance of the case, six teams consisting of senior officers assisted by other staff have been formed on the orders of Director Vigilance," a vigilance statement said.

Specific tasks have been assigned to the teams to expedite the investigation, it said adding the Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack has been moved to take Mishra on remand for five days to Vigilance custody to ascertain the details of his foreign trips, acquisition of illegal assets and sources of his income.
 

One of the vigilance teams is also inquiring into the alleged misappropriation and irregularities relating to issuance of supply orders to different companies/corporates/ establishments, which is suspected to have taken place in OSIC during his tenure as its Managing Director.

The office staff as well as other persons, who are associated with the functioning of OSIC (Odisha Small Industries Corporation Limited) are also being examined to unearth further information, the statement said.

The Special Vigilance Court had yesterday rejected the bail application of Mishra, after the government pleader argued that the arrested IAS officer could tamper evidence against him if released on bail. Mishra has been placed under suspension by the Odisha government.

On February 16, Mishra was arrested by the Vigilance department under Prevention of Corruption Act.

"We had received several corruption allegations against Partha Sarathi Mishra in the last six months including taking bribe from contractors and we were verifying the allegations," said a senior vigilance officer.

The vigilance department had conducted simultaneous raids at the private residence and official quarters of the IAS officer after seizure of over Rs two lakh cash from his car.

Mishra owns three massive buildings - one each at Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack - whose value runs into over Rs 2.5 crore. Preliminary inquiry showed the bureaucrat amassed assets worth over Rs five crore.