Bhubaneswar: A day after recovering about Rs 45 lakh in suspected ill-gotten cash from an official of Odisha police housing corporation, the vigilance officers on Wednesday discovered 1 kg gold and 29 plots owned by him.Vigilance officials have arrested Bidyut Ranjan Bhol, the 51-year-old deputy manager of the Odisha police housing and welfare corporation, after recovering massive assets suspected to be disproportionate to his income.“After completion of the search operation that continued till Wednesday late night, we found 1.14 kg of gold (including six coins and two biscuits), Rs 48.79 lakh in cash, and 29 plots spread in Jatni, Berhampur, and other locations,” a vigilance official said. The officers also found two multi-storeyed buildings and a flat in Bhubaneswar owned by Bhol and his family.The vigilance team further detected deposits worth Rs 30 lakh and other financial investments. A technical team is currently assessing the market value of the 29 plots.Bhol was produced in court on Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected. He began his career as an assistant project manager in Berhampur on August 1, 1998, with a starting salary of Rs 7,000. He now draws about Rs 70,000 per month.The investigation began Tuesday evening when officials intercepted Bhol near Sambalpur railway station, seizing Rs 5.18 lakh in unaccounted cash. Subsequent raids at his properties in Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, and Bhanjanagar revealed the extent of his assets.The vigilance authorities suspect Bhol may have received undue benefits from contractors engaged in police housing projects. His financial dealings, along with those of his family, are under scrutiny to determine whether he amassed disproportionate assets through corrupt practices.
