Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance officials on Saturday recovered nearly ₹2 crore in cash and more than 300 grams of gold during raids on properties linked to an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Baliguda, in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
The searches were conducted against Baikuntha Nath Behera following allegations that he had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
According to Vigilance sources, officials were astonished to discover bundles of currency notes stacked inside two bank lockers allegedly held in the name of Behera’s wife. The cash, estimated at around ₹2 crore, was counted using bank currency-counting machines.
In addition to the cash haul, investigators recovered over 300 grams of gold ornaments from another bank locker in the Chandrasekharpur area of Bhubaneswar.
The anti-corruption agency carried out simultaneous searches at nine locations linked to the engineer, including residential premises and other properties, as part of its ongoing investigation.
During the raids, officials reportedly detected multiple landed properties, high-value residential buildings, gold ornaments, and other movable and immovable assets. Preliminary findings indicate that the recovered wealth may be substantial, though a detailed valuation is yet to be completed.
The operation has drawn significant attention due to the large quantity of cash and valuables unearthed during the searches. Vigilance officials are currently verifying the source of the assets and assessing whether they are commensurate with the officer’s legitimate income.
A comprehensive inventory and valuation of the seized assets are being prepared, while further investigation is underway to determine the extent of the alleged disproportionate assets.
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