Odisha CM announces 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers
In a significant development, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers of his state.
The Bhubaneswar wing of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable assets worth Rs 94.55 lakh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with a case against Saroj Kumar Das, former Chief Mechanical Engineer of Paradip Port Trust and others, an official here on Friday said.
The immovable assets included an under-construction duplex building worth Rs 70 lakh in Odisha and a residential house worth Rs 24.55 lakh in Kerala belonging to his associate, the ED said.
The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR and the subsequent chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Das and others.
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According to the CBI investigation, during his tenure as the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) at Paradip Port Trust, Das allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with the officials of Orissa Stevedores Ltd (OSL) and others and did not raise bills towards the damage of conveyor belts at Paradip Port done by the said company.
Das also influenced and relaxed the rules and helped OSL and others in extending the licence of Harbour Mobile Crane (HMC).
In lieu of the undue favour rendered to OSL, Das received bribe money either directly or through his associates, which he further invested in real estate.
During the course of investigations under PMLA, it was revealed that Das rendered undue favour to certain entities and repeatedly received illegal gratification against such favours.
There are instances of huge cash deposits/transactions undertaken by him directly or indirectly. Das acquired land for Rs 25 lakh, the payment for which was made in cash. He is also constructing a duplex house on the said land for which an amount of Rs 45 lakh in cash has been paid to the developer to date.
Das has laundered and transferred an amount of Rs 24.55 lakh to his associate Sree Rekha Rout from the said illegal gratification received by him, the ED added.
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