‘Threw ₹500 bundles from window': Odisha Vigilance finds ₹ ₹2.1 crore cash from Chief Engineer's residence
The Odisha Vigilance Department on Friday conducted searches at seven locations across Odisha on premises allegedly linked to the Chief Engineer of the Odisha Rural Works Division and recovered approximately ₹ 2.1 crore in cash.
In the major anti-corruption crackdown, the vigilance team raided the premises linked to Baikuntha Nath Sarangi on the allegation of disproportionate asset possession.
Officials recovered about ₹ 1 crore from his flat in Bhubaneswar and around ₹ 1.1 crore from his residence in Angul. The search operations are still underway, officials of the Odisha Vigilance Department said.
The department also shared the details of their findings on social media.
'Today, on the allegation of possession of disp. assets by Sri Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, Chief Engineer, RW Division, Odisha, house searches are on by #Odisha #Vigilance at 7 locations. Approx ₹ 2.1 Crore cash recovered so far from his house at Bhubaneswar (1 Cr) & Angul (1.1 Cr) [sic],' the Odisha Vigilance Department said in a post on X.
It also attached videos of the raid. Watch the video here:
According to the Vigilance Department, Sarangi threw bundles of ₹ 500 notes from the window of his Bhubaneswar flat upon noticing the presence of the search team. Vigilance officials later recovered the cash in the presence of witnesses.
The search operations and further proceedings are ongoing, the department said. In the X post, it also attached images of the cash recovered from Sarangi's residence.
'8 DSsP, 12 Inspectors, 6 ASIs, and other supporting staff are conducting search on the strength of search warrants issued by Hon'ble Special Judge, Vigilance, Angul ,' it added
In a separate incident, Odisha Vigilance intercepted Assistant Executive Engineer Pabitra Mohan Panigrahi of Chitrakonda Block in Malkangiri district in April. It seized cash exceeding ₹ 15 lakh, which was suspected to be ill-got.
Acting on credible intelligence inputs about alleged bribe collection from contractors, a team of Odisha Vigilance officials intercepted Panigrahi near Gobindapally Chowk while he was travelling from his government residence in Chitrakonda to Bhubaneswar in a WagonR car bearing registration number OD-30-E-3096. He was reportedly taking a lift at the time.
Upon interception, officials recovered ₹ 5.07 lakh in cash from Panigrahi's possession. A further search at his government quarters in Chitrakonda led to the recovery of ₹ 10 lakh more in cash. As Panigrahi failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the seized amount, the Vigilance team confiscated the entire cash.
Subsequently, searches are underway at two additional premises linked to Panigrahi from a disproportionate assets angle. He is currently being questioned about the source of the recovered funds.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- The Hindu
Save Thrissur campaign launched against bid to block city's development
A 'Save Thrissur' public campaign has been launched alleging that a group of people, including real estate agents and certain officials linked to the Thrissur Corporation, are trying to torpedo development of the city. Congress councillor in the Corporation John Daniel, who initiated the campaign, accused this group with vested interests of deliberately helping to issue fake structural fitness certificates to aging and unsafe buildings in Thrissur city and surrounding areas to prevent their demolition. In a letter to the Mayor, Mr. Daniel demanded a Vigilance investigation into the alleged issuance of fake structural stability (fitness) certificates. According to the complaint, owners of dilapidated and unsafe buildings were illegally obtaining stability certificates — often without any scientific assessment. 'They are risking people's lives by issuing fitness certificates for buildings that are clearly unfit to occupy. One of the buildings near Swaraj Round, which collapsed recently, had allegedly received such a certificate, raising questions about the credibility of the process,' he noted. A list of 271 buildings identified as unsafe had been prepared during the tenure of the previous council, but many of these buildings were later certified as structurally stable, which stopped further action, Mr. Daniel pointed out. 'There is evidence that intermediaries are collecting large sums from building owners in exchange for fitness certificates.' He even accused the Mayor of concealing a structural report that had declared a Corporation-owned building at Ayyanthole — previously housing the family court — as unfit and recommended for demolition. Despite the warning, several businesses continued to operate from the premises, he said. The councillor alleged that these actions were part of a long-term attempt to reduce land value in the city by the land mafia. 'Their aim is to undermine the importance of Swaraj Round by shifting commercial and residential activity to the outskirts — a move that will benefit private real estate interests. ' He also questioned whether parts of the Corporation's Master Plan, including the Ring Road and mixed-use zone projects, were connected to this strategy. The letter demanding a Vigilance investigation into the misuse of structural stability certificates marks the first step of the 'Save Thrissur' campaign, he said. He said the movement would continue with further public action and legal steps to ensure accountability and to address the concerns about the city's stalled development.
India Gazette
16 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Everyone talked of India, people at home should not indulge in dirty politics": BJP's Aparajita Sarangi
New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and all-party delegation member Aparajita Sarangi on Wednesday said that members from different political parties 'talked of India' during the global outreach campaign against terrorism. The BJP MP asked to refrain from 'dirty' politics, especially when members belonging to different political parties echoed the same voice on foreign soil. 'We need to denounce the statements of the Opposition parties in India. We must realise that 59 persons in 7 delegations had gone to 33 countries, and we were multi-party delegations. All five nations we visited appreciated and acknowledged that PM Modi's government had not sent a BJP or NDA team but a multiparty delegation,' the Bhubaneswar MP told ANI. 'These people must realise that out of the total 59 persons in these delegations, 51 people were MPs belonging to different political parties. So when we all spoke the same language on foreign soil, then why should these people indulge in dirty politics back home?' Sarangi, who is a member of the all-party delegation led by JD (U)'s Sanjay Jha, said. She said that all the party delegation members deserve appreciation, 'Their members have spoken the language of Bharat there. With all of us, I think the members of the delegations must appreciate those who belong to different parties. They talked of India, and these people at home should not indulge in dirty politics.' The all-party delegation of which Sarangi was a part had visited Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. It included BJP MPs Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, and CPI-M's John Brittas and Mohan Kumar. Earlier, Former External Affairs Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who is a member of the party delegation led by Sanjay Jha, had stressed while reacting to his post on X in which he hit out at those 'calculating political allegiances' amid the ongoing global outreach programme initiated by the Indian government to expose Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Referring to those posting on X (formerly Twitter), raising objections regarding Khurshid being part of the multi-party delegation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, he argued that it was not 'very encouraging' to say such things when one was serving the nation. 'People keep saying, 'What are you doing in a delegation where there are people from the BJP? What are you doing there?' What are we doing here? What we are doing here is what is needed for the country. No matter which party you are from, today, what is needed is a single voice to speak in favour of the nation, and that is what we are doing here. I think when I say, 'Is it so difficult to be a patriot?' - that is the question that has to be asked of those who are putting out tweets and saying things that I think I believe are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation,' Khurshid told ANI. He further stated that his visit with the multi-party delegation, led by Janata Dal (United) Sanjay Kumar Jha, to highlight India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, was not to oppose the government of India but to speak for India. 'Have I come here to oppose the Government of India? If I wanted to do that, I would stay at home,' Khurshid said, adding, 'People are saying he (Salman Khurshid) is supporting so-and-so, and he is not supporting so-and-so; they are supporting the government, etc.... I have come here to speak for India. Whoever speaks for India, in whichever way they speak for India, whatever is said for India, we are here to support. It is only a short period of 10-12 days. You have to go back home and do what you are required to do at home. But here for India first, India and only India.' (ANI)
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Crorepati engineer in Vigilance net
BERHAMPUR: Vigilance officials on Sunday arrested an assistant executive engineer of Roads and Buildings (Division-1) in Berhampur for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth around Rs 5 crore. Following a tip-off, Vigilance sleuths conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations linked to the accused, N Dillip Kumar Choudhury, and his family members on Saturday. Sources said assets worth over Rs 4.9 crore were detected, which is around 119 per cent more than his income. Some of Choudhury's assets unearthed by the anti-corruption agency include a double-storeyed residential building in Berhampur's Mayuree Vihar valued at around Rs 1 crore, a three-BHK flat in Evos Exotica apartment in Bhubaneswar's Saheed Nagar worth over Rs 1 crore, a two-BHK flat at Spectrum Royale in Berhampur's Dharma Nagar valued at around Rs 50 lakh, 11 plots in Berhampur and its adjoining areas estimated to be worth Rs 2 crore, bank and insurance deposits amounting to around Rs 30 lakh, two two-wheelers and household articles worth over Rs 16 lakh. A case was registered against the engineer under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 following which he was arrested. 'Further investigation is underway to trace more undisclosed assets and determine the full extent of the financial irregularities,' said Vigilance officials.
