The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Friday carried out raids at the office and residences of some Forest Department officials in Kalahandi district. The raids were in connection with a case related to the misappropriation of government funds to the tune of over Rs 2.50 crore. The sleuths have seized various ATM cards of mule accounts, mobile phones, withdrawal slips, digital devices, incriminating documents and an illegal suspected tiger skin during the search operations on Friday. The total diversion of funds of the Forest Department is suspected to be more than £2.5 crore, according to an estimate by the central agency. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made so far, the ED said in a statement. The case is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate’s Bhubaneswar Zonal office and the National Crime Records Bureau. The search operations were carried out on February 28, 2025, in the district of Kalhandi, Odisha, and the raids were conducted on February 27, 2025 and February 26, 2025.
