Crypto worth ₹1.75 crore found with Odisha govt officer

Cryptocurrency worth over ₹1.75 crore was found with a government officer in Bhubaneswar, officials said on Saturday (October 29).

The cryptos were found in a raid on the additional chief engineer by the Vigilance Department in a corruption case, they said.

The officer was about to retire on Monday. The raid which began on Friday (October 28) was continuing even on Saturday morning, they said.

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As soon as the officer and his family found the investigators at their doorstep, they tried to destroy evidence of the cryptocurrency they possessed, said an official statement. The figure is likely to rise, it said.

The investigators carried out simultaneous searches in his properties across Khurdha, Sambalpur and Bargarh districts after search warrants were issued by a judge.

They found eight plots in Sambalpur worth ₹1.27 crore, insurance deposit worth about ₹64.42 lakh, two four-wheelers worth ₹39 lakh, two two-wheelers worth ₹3 lakh, 332 gm gold jewelry worth over ₹10 lakh, household articles worth ₹15.55 lakh and ₹1.7 lakh in cash, the statement said.

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The officer is yet to be arrested, the investigators said.

(With inputs from agencies)