Saroj Kumar Mishra

Paradip, May 22: Paradip Port Trust (PPT) traffic manager Saroj Kumar Mishra was suspended for perpetrating a series of irregularities in his department, apart from accumulating movable and immovable assets disproportionate to his known source of income, sources said.

“Mishra has been suspended in the wake of a direction received from the ministry of shipping. The CBI and the anti-corruption wing and vigilance cell of the PPT are probing into the charges. He was also facing departmental charges. Drastic step was initiated against him on the basis of the Union ministry’s directives as his continuance in the office was detrimental to fair and unbiased investigation,” said PPT deputy chairman S. Anantha Kumar Bose.

With Mishra served with marching order, chief mechanical engineer Sunil Kumar Pattnaik would now head the all-important traffic department of the port with statutory power while senior traffic manager K.K. Sahu would be in charge of operational matter.

The CBI had conducted simultaneous raids on his offices and residence on May 3, 2009. Sources said he owned plots and palatial buildings in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Berhampur.