BDO held with Rs 4.92 lakh cash in vehicle

Bhubaneswar: A Block Development Officer (BDO) was arrested by Odisha Vigilance on Friday after Rs 4.92 lakh, suspected to be ill-gotten cash, was recovered from her possession on Thursday.

The accused officer, Akhyamita Kartik, BDO of Golamunda in Kalahandi district, was intercepted by Vigilance officials near Jaring on Bhawanipatna-Junagarh route. She was travelling to Koraput via Bhawanipatna, Junagarh, and Nabarangpur in her official vehicle.

During a search, the Vigilance team discovered the cash concealed inside the rear door of her vehicle. The BDO had cleverly concealed the cash to evade detection. Vigilance sources said the entire cash was seized and she could not account for it satisfactorily.

Kartik had previously faced action, including a departmental inquiry and a police case related to corruption allegations. Following the arrest, simultaneous searches were conducted at several locations in Koraput and Kalahandi.