Odisha: The Vigilance Department today conducted simultaneous raids at four locations in Jagatsinghpur district after corruption allegations surfaced against a forest official in the Rama range. The accused officer, Rajendra Kumar Samantaray, is the Forest Range Officer (FRO) of the Rama Forest Range. Samantaray came under the Vigilance Department’s scanner following allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income (DA).
According to initial reports, the searches were conducted based on a warrant issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack. The operation involved two Additional Superintendents of Police (ASPs), five Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), eight Inspectors, along with other supporting officers and staff.
Raids are ongoing, detailed assessment awaited
According to officials, searches are underway at the following locations linked to the accused officer:
A three-story residential building in Chatra, Jagatsinghpur.
A two-story building in his ancestral village, Samantaraypur, under the Dondol Police Station in Jagatsinghpur district.
The accused officer’s office in Sampur, Forest Range, under the Cuttack Forest Division.
The government quarter inside the Jagatsinghpur Forest Range campus.
Further details in the case are awaited as Vigilance teams are verifying the documents, assets, and other items seized during the searches. A detailed assessment will be conducted after the completion of the operation, following which appropriate legal action will be initiated as per the law.
