OAS officer arrested with crores in disproportionate assets

The anti-corruption vigilance wing of the Odisha Police on Thursday arrested an Odisha Administrative Officer (OAS) under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly amassing enormous wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Prasanna Samantaray, Tahsildar of Kantapara in Cuttack district, was arrested by Odisha Vigilance and produced before the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, in Cuttack for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The disproportionate assets are estimated at around 80 per cent of his known income, which he failed to account for satisfactorily.

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During house searches, movable and immovable assets worth crores of rupees were unearthed in the name of Samantaray and his family members.

The assets detected include, among other things, a triple-storeyed building with an area of approximately 4,200 sq ft in Bhubaneswar; another triple-storeyed building with an area of around 6,750 sq ft, seven high-value plots in Bhubaneswar; cash worth Rs 2.17 lakh; and household articles valued at around Rs 11 lakh.

After a thorough search, inventory and further enquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of Samantaray were calculated, and he was found to be in possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, amounting to about 80 per cent in excess of his known income.