These steps have been taken to assess if officials abusing their official position were acting in collusion with gangster Syed Usaman Ali.
Bhubaneswar: Anti-graft Vigilance sleuths of Odisha Police have raided six more places as part of their probe to unearth any possible nexus between government officials and a gangster, who is now behind bars.
The search operations, carried out yesterday were aimed at to unearth undue favour shown to Titto alias Syed Usaman Ali, by officials abusing their official position, causing wrongful loss to government and gain to Titto, his family members and associates, vigilance officials said Wednesday.
In course of enquiry, six teams of officers visited and verified records at municipality office, district police office, offices of assistant fire officer and civil supply officer Office and two tahasil offices at Mahakalpada in Kendrapara district and Darpan of Jajpur district, they said.
The officers with the help of revenue inspectors of Kendrapara tahasil and municipality, demarcated the lease land for approach road to the petrol pump allotted in favour of Benazir Bibi, wife of Titto at Kendrapara.
It was revealed from the demarcation report of revenue inspector of Kendrapara Town, that 4 decimal of government land has been encroached, a vigilance statement said.
It was also ascertained from the executive officer of Kendrapara municipality that no holding tax assessment has been made in respect of filling station in the name of Benazir Bibi, located at Badahat Mouza in Kendrapara, the statement said.
The vigilance team visiting Tahasil offices at Mahakalpada under Kendrapada district and Darpan under Jajpur district were verifying the relevant files relating to sand sairats and morrum quarries allegedly allotted in favour of the associates of Titto alias Syed Usaman Ali, it said adding the enquiry was in progress.
Earlier, the vigilance sleuths had on 25 July conducted search in half-a-dozen places as part of their probe into possible nexus between Titto and government officials.
The operations come after state Vigilance launched a probe to ascertain the role, involvement and connivance, if any, of government officials in extending undue favour to Titto of Kendrapada district, an accused in many criminal cases, his family members and associates.
Officers of Vigilance Cell have already visited the office of the Special Task Force (STF) of state crime branch in Bhubaneswar which is currently investigating a number of criminal cases against Titto. They have discussed with STF officials and collected the relevant documents and records.
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) last month had sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged irregularities in allotment of two retail outlets in Odisha to the family of Titto.
Several members of Tittos gang are believed to have gone underground after he was arrested following an encounter in Jajpur district on 30 June. The gangster, who was arrested several times earlier, faces many criminal cases involving murder, attempt to murder and extortion. – PTI