Bhubaneswar, March 16: Movable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.6 crore, including Rs 5.28 lakh in cash, was seized during raids on several houses belonging to mines officer Prafulla Kumar Sethy.

Sethy had joined the state government's director of mines as a mining officer in 2005 and was subsequently posted to Talcher, Joda, Jajpur Road and Phulbani.

Vigilance sleuths today conducted simultaneous search operations at nine locations, including Mishra's office in Phulbani, on allegations of acquisition and possession of assets disproportionate to the income of a class II official.

"We have also stumbled on deposits of Rs 73 lakh in various banks. Gold ornaments weighing 276 grams have also been found during the search operation. We are investigating further to find out how the official managed to accumulate the assets," said vigilance director R.P. Sharma.

The vigilance sleuths also conducted raids at his in-laws' Nischintakoili house in Cuttack district.

The sleuths have found that the officer owns two double-storied buildings in Bhubaneswar and Nischintakoili in Cuttack. This apart, he has two flats in Bhubaneswar and a market complex in Nischintakoili.

During the raids, the vigilance team has found an SUV and a hatchback valued at more than Rs 20 lakh belonging to the officer.

Sources said that Sethy's property of the official would be more than Rs 5 crore as the houses and flats in Bhubaneswar has been valued according to government rates, which is well below the market price.

On February 24, the vigilance had conducted similar raids on the houses of senior Odisha Forest Service official Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra. The officer was found possessing movable and immovable assets worth Rs 6 crore, including Rs 93 lakh in cash.

Mishra, who was divisional forest officer in Athagarh, was later arrested.

The vigilance sleuths had found gold ornaments and gold coins weighing 551 grams during the search operation. Mishra had also invested in fixed deposits worth Rs 2.61 crore.

Vigilance raids on class I and class II officials in the state are on the rise.

Statistics has revealed that while 48 class I officials were booked in 2013, the number went up to 74 and 75 in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Similarly the number of class II officials booked in corruption cases was 97 in 2015 as against 43 in 2014. In 2013, vigilance has booked 36 class II officials.