Property of former Forest Officer’s spouse confiscated

Bhubaneswar, Aug 18 (UNI) The Authorised Officer of the Special Court today ordered the confiscation of immovable and movable assets belonging to Swarnalata Pradhan, wife of late Basanta Kumar Pradhan, former Deputy Director of Social Forestry, Bhubaneswar, and a co-accused in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.

The confiscated property includes,a multi-storeyed building at Tulasipur, Cuttack,a residential building at Laxmisagar, Bhubaneswar,a farmhouse measuring 5.02 acres at Athagarh, Cuttack and bank and postal deposits

Both Basanta Kumar Pradhan and his spouse Swarnalata Pradhan were charge-sheeted by Odisha Vigilance under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 109 of the IPC, for possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

During trial, Basanta Kumar Pradhan was convicted by the Special Judge, Vigilance Court, Bhubaneswar, on January 27, 2012, for possessing disproportionate assets.
The Odisha Special Courts Act provides for speedy trial of DA cases involving senior public
servants and political figures, along with confiscation of disproportionate assets.

In such cases, trials are conducted in Special Vigilance Courts in Cuttack or Bhubaneswar,
while confiscation proceedings are simultaneously pursued in designated Special Courts.