Rs 45L seized from police housing corp official

Bhubaneswar: Vigilance officials on Tuesday seized around Rs 45 lakh in unaccounted cash during a search operation linked to Bidyut Ranjan Bhol, deputy manager of Odisha police housing & welfare corporation.Acting on credible intelligence about alleged bribe collections, officials intercepted Bhol near Sambalpur railway station and recovered Rs 5 lakh from him. Bhol is currently posted in Sambalpur.Following the interception, simultaneous raids were conducted at properties linked to him in Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, and Bhanjanagar.“We recovered another Rs 5 lakh from his Bhubaneswar residence. In addition, two trunks containing about 70 bundles of Rs 500 notes were found concealed at his sister’s house in Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar. The total seizure so far amounts to around Rs 45 lakh, and searches are continuing,” a senior vigilance officer said.The anti-corruption investigators suspect Bhol may have received undue benefits from contractors engaged in construction projects under the police housing corporation. A detailed probe has been initiated to scrutinize his official dealings, while his accounts and properties, along with those of his family members, are being examined to determine whether he amassed disproportionate assets.