Bhubaneswar, June 9: Vigilance sleuths today arrested Sushant Kumar Rout, the jailor of Sambalpur Circle Jail, in connection with seizure of Rs 18.86 lakh in cash from his office during a surprise raid on June 4.

The jail authorities today suspended Rout following a departmental probe by two senior officials, who had also recommended a vigilance probe against him.

The vigilance sleuths are conducting simultaneous raids at his government quarter on the jail premises, his office chamber and his paternal house in Jajpur district.

Officials said that Rout was arrested after he failed to give a satisfactory explanation regarding the source of the large amount of cash that was seized from his office chamber.

During the raid on the jail, Sambalpur police had also found nine mobile phones and narcotic substances from his office.

"We will move court seeking his remand for further interrogation to trace his movable and immovable assets. Documents and passbooks seized during the raid are being verified, said vigilance director R.P. Sharma.

The jailor, however, had claimed that the money was kept for construction of a temple on the jail premises.

Though there is a provision of giving Rs 3.5 lakh as cash advance to the jails to meet the emergency requirements of inmates, the police suspected the jailor of amassing money through illegal ways.

Bribe cuffs

In another incident, the vigilance today arrested Sanatan Nayak, an assistant engineer of the works department in Balasore district, after he was trapped receiving Rs 70,000 from a contractor to release his arrears bill towards construction of a road from Bhadrak Ranital to Kupari.

The arrested engineer was caught red-handed taking the bribe in a hotel at Unit-IV area in Bhubaneswar.

The house of the accused at Baripada is also being raided by the vigilance sleuths.