Bhubaneswar, April 12: A Forest Range Officer in Odisha has come under vigilance scrutiny after being intercepted with a significant amount of suspected illicit cash on Sunday.

Acting on reliable intelligence, a team of Odisha Vigilance officials intercepted Sukumar Dukhu, Forest Range Officer of Gudari Range in Rayagada district. The interception took place near Indrabati Bridge in Nabarangpur while he was traveling from Gudari to his residence at Senapati Street in Nabarangpur.

Dukhu was reportedly using his official vehicle at the time of interception. During the operation, vigilance sleuths recovered Rs. 2.33 lakh in cash from his possession. Upon questioning, Dukhu allegedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the source of the money.

As a result, the vigilance team seized the entire cash amount along with the vehicle.

Following the interception, officials have launched simultaneous searches at three locations linked to Dukhu. These searches are being conducted from a Disproportionate Assets (DA) angle to investigate potential accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of income.

Further investigation is currently underway.