Odisha vigilance finds Rs 9.4 crore bank deposits in name of ‘tainted’ IFS officer’s son
BHUBANESWAR: Wealth of Indian forest service (IFS) officer Abhay Kant Pathak, who is under the Odisha vigilance scanner for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets, may run into several crores of rupees as the raid on his properties in the state and outside entered its second day on Thursday.
“During our raids in Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Pune, Rajasthan and Bihar since Wednesday, we have so far seized about Rs 60 lakh cash. Costly household articles and gold ornaments weighing 800 grams have also been found. Further documents relating to purchase of gold ornaments worth Rs 23 lakh has been found,” a vigilance officer said.
On Wednesday, simultaneous raids were carried out in Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Pune, Bihar and Rajasthan – one of the biggest by the state vigilance – to unearth alleged disproportionate assets (DA) owned by 58-year-old Abhay Kant Pathak, a 1987 batch IFS officer, who is currently posted as additional principal chief conservator of forests (plan, programme & afforestation) in the state.
The anti-corruption wing has found cash deposits of about Rs 9.4 crore have been made in the bank accounts of his son Akash Pathak. Of the Rs 9.4 crore, about Rs 8.4 crore was deposited through ATMs at Saheed Nagar and Nayapalli in Bhubaneswar.
Vigilance said more than Rs 1 crore was paid towards rent of some luxury flats and a farm house in Pune. “We also found hotel bills of more than Rs 90 lakh at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai and advance booking amount of Rs 20 lakh at Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur in Rajasthan,” the officer said.
Pathak and his family reportedly splurged on foreign travels as well. “Foreign tours to Malaysia, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Maldives have been ascertained. Chartered flight bills worth nearly Rs 3 crores, involving travel from and to cities like Pune, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Juhu, Mumbai, Jamshedpur and Delhi have also been determined,” the vigilance officer said.
The vigilance found costly vehicles like Mercedes, BMW and Tata Harrier and three costly Yamaha FZS motorcycles registered in Akash’s name. “At the time of search at Pune, three vehicles including two Mercedes were found to have been taken on rent by him. So far, vehicle hiring charges to the tune of Rs 25 lakhs has been ascertained. Teams consisting of chartered accountants, bank officer and cyber cell experts have been engaged to assist the vigilance in the inquiry,” the officer said.
The Crime Branch recently registered a cheating case against Akash for allegedly impersonating the MD (in-charge) of an automobile company and cheating job aspirants of lakhs of rupees. Akash had donated Rs 5 lakh to chief minister’s relief fund by fraudulently introducing himself as a top official of the automobile company in April this year, said a complaint lodged by the company with the Crime Branch’s inspector general Amitendra Nath Sinha on May 18. However, the Crime Branch so far did not take any action against Pathak’s son.
Opposition BJP and Congress slammed the BJD government for having patronized the ‘corrupt’ IFS officer. “The officer would not have thrived without the patronage of the ruling party. The Crime Branch also showed leniency to the officer’s son, who was booked in a cheating case,” BJP MLA and leader of opposition Pradipta Naik said. Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja said most public servants have turned corrupt in the incumbent government.
BJD denied the charges. “The government has been showing zero tolerance against corrupt officers. The vigilance action against the IFS officer is a case in point,” BJD spokesperson Debi Mishra said.