Overview
- The Economic Offence Wing, which launched coordinated searches on Friday, deployed eight teams to inspect 11 homes, offices and business units in Rayagada and Bhubaneswar and seized financial documents.
- Investigators say the operation is connected to Case (15/26), registered on September 22, which lists charges including criminal breach of trust, cheating, extortion and criminal intimidation.
- The EOW alleges office‑bearers of the Rayagada Truck Owners’ Association collected money from truck owners since 2005 without proper accounts and diverted funds into logistics, trading, mining and real estate firms.
- Officials say the suspected misappropriation could total about Rs 80 crore and that some collections were reportedly described by investigators as purported contributions linked to Naxalite activities.
- Bhaskar Rao is a former BJD Rajya Sabha member and ex‑deputy chairman of the state planning board who was away during the raids and the probe is ongoing with documents under forensic review and no criminal convictions yet.