The sleuths of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) swooped down on the residence of a Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of State Water Resources Department and unearthed disproportionate assets worth around Rs5 crore while recovering cash amounting to Rs31 lakh here on Friday.
The sleuths raided the residence of SDO Rajesh Kumar Gupta located in lakhauli colony during the early hours of Friday.
The official is posted in Sahaspur-lohara in Kawardha, Superintendent of Police (SP), ACB, R P Sai informed.
He informed that the SDO’s immovable assets included a house in lakhauli colony, residential plots in Rajnandgaon, a Stone Crusher in Chaveli of Rajnandgaon besides agriculture land in Balod.
The SDO had deposited Rs80 lakh in different bank accounts and had also invested Rs20 lakh in life insurance and mutual funds. Further, Rs12.50 lakh were invested in Kisan Vikas Patra and National Saving Certificate (NSC) and investment of Rs33 lakh in Chetna Foundation Society in Gondia (Maharashtra) were also found during the raid, the SP said.
Gold ornaments weighing 26 ‘Tola’ and silver ornaments weighing about 1.60 Kgs were also unearthed. A dumper truck, a tractor-trolley, a car and two motorcycles were found, he added.
Further, cash amounting to Rs31 lakh was recovered from his home in Rajnandgaon, Sai stated.
Gupta was under ACB radar for a long time after receiving complaints that he had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, he said.
A case has been registered against Gupta under the relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Rajesh Kumar Gupta according to ACB officials, joined government his service in 1977 as a Deputy Engineer (Civil) from Bastar district’s Jagdalpur.
He had served in Bijapur, Balod, Durg, Pakhanjur, Dongargarh and Rajnandgaon. It was during his posting in Dongargarh, he was elevated to the post of Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) in 2011.