BHUBANESWAR: Former constable Prasanna Behera, who was arrested recently for running an unlicenced bar in the city, and his family members have been found to possess moveable and immoveable properties worth about Rs 6.97 crore, which is nearly 221% more than their known and legitimate sources of income.
The state vigilance directorate on Monday made the startling revelation after conducting raids on Behera’s premises on October 28.
“After a thorough verification and calculation of the income of Behera and all his family members, we found that the suspended constable bought most of the assets in the names of his family members. His family members could not give any satisfactory reply about the sources of their income. A DA case has been registered against Behera and his family members,” a senior vigilance official said.
Behera, 44, had joined Odisha Police as a constable on June 24, 1995. He was dismissed from the service on October 24 this year for his alleged misconduct and involvement in several criminal cases. The vigilance sleuths said Behera’s legitimate income from his salary would come to around Rs 40 lakh during the period of his service.
Behera had allegedly invested his ill-gotten wealth in two furniture showrooms in the city. He had also allegedly encroached on government land and illegally extended his small quarters by constructing eight more rooms. He had taken a bar on lease in Patrapada area in the name of his brother.
Behera was the secretary of the Bhubaneswar constables’ association. He landed in trouble during the investigation of the murder case of Manish Anurag Das, son of senior journalist Navin Das. Manish and some of his friends had attended a party in Behera’s bar on the night of October 9. Manish’s body was found in a pond, about 2km from the bar, the next day.
Behera is currently in judicial custody. He was arrested by Tamando police on October 23 for allegedly running the bar even after its licence had expired.
