Odisha Vigilance Directorate officers on Saturdayconducted a raid at a gas agency office in Talcher town in Angul district owned by elder brother of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and also several petrol pumps across the State.
The raids of Vigilance came after the CBI raids on BJD leaders for their alleged involvement in the Seashore chit fund scam with the BJD crying political vendetta of the BJP-led Government at the Centre.
Six teams of Vigilance sleuths from the Cuttack and Angul divisions under the direct supervision of Cuttack Vigilance SP Swarup Parida conducted the raids at the houses, godowns of Pradhan's Gas Service owned by Dharmendra's brother Soumendra Pradhan at Handidhua. Raids were also conducted on petrol pumps at Hatotota, byepass of Talcher Dera Colliery and South Balanda Colliery simultaneously.
Soumendra Pradhan is in the business for last 10 years.
A raid was also conducted in South Balanda where a man has allegedly opened a gas agency illegally by bringing gas from Soumendra's agency.
As part of the State-wide crackdown, raids were also carried out at various petrol pumps and gas agencies in Puri, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khordha.
A joint team of officials of the Vigilance and the Civil Supplies Department examined the quality and quantities of oil at the petrol pumps.
"The raids were conducted on the basis of allegations of adulteration (of fuels)," said Vigilance Director Rajendra Prasad Sharma.