Bhubaneswar: Continuing its crackdown on State government officials involved in corrupt practices, the Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday conducted simultaneous searches at locations linked to an Assistant Engineer of the State Works department, following allegations of amassing assets beyond his known sources of income.

“On the allegation of possession of assets disproportionate to the known sources of income, simultaneous house searches were conducted on the properties of Raja Kishore Jena, Assistant Engineer in the Roads and Buildings division-III, in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday at 10 places in Bhubaneswar and Nayagarh,” a Vigilance official said. The locations where the raids were conducted include Jena’s paternal house located at Jagannathprasad in Nayagarh district, his office chamber and his in-law’s house, shops and other properties owned by the Assistant Engineer in Bhubaneswar and Nayagarh.

As per official sources, 10 teams of Odisha Vigilance comprising seven Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), five Inspectors, one Sub-Inspector (SI), 11 Assistant SIs, and other supporting staff conducted the search on the strength of search warrants issued by the Vigilance Court of Special Judge in Bhubaneswar. The anti-corruption officials have reportedly unearthed properties worth several crores possessed by Jena and his family members. The Vigilance officials found Jena in possession of a multi-storeyed building at Niladri Vihar and two flats in Bhubaneswar worth several crores of rupees. He also reportedly owned two shops at Utkal Kanika Galleria Mall and Symphony Mall in Bhubaneswar, 13 high value plots, including nine in Bhubaneswar, three in Nayagarh and one in Khurda district. Jena has allegedly invested Rs 75 lakh in bank, postal and insurance deposits.The Vigilance officials also unearthed cash and household articles worth more than Rs 30 lakh. Notably, Jena had joined in government services as Junior Engineer on October 3, 2007, with a consolidatedsalary of Rs 5,000.