Bhubneshwar, June 06: Odisha Vigilance is conducting simultaneous searches at multiple locations following allegations that Baikuntha Nath Behera, Assistant Executive Engineer at ITDA, Baliguda, possesses assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
During the ongoing searches, approximately Rs 2 crore in cash has been recovered from his bank lockers & unearthed multiple properties.
The process of counting the cash using bank machines is currently underway.
Preliminary investigations by the Anti-Corruption agency revealed a vast portfolio of movable and immovable assets allegedly accumulated by Behera and his family members over the years.
Vigilance officials said the assets detected so far appear to be far beyond his known sources of income. During the searches, Vigilance unearthed five residential buildings, including a sprawling four-storeyed structure measuring around 10,500 sq ft at Niladri Vihar in Bhubaneswar.
Other properties include a triple-storeyed house at Sailashree Vihar and three double-storeyed buildings located at Kanan Vihar, Chandrasekharpur and Dharmasala in Jajpur district. The agency also detected 13 high-value land parcels, including seven plots in prime areas of Bhubaneswar, five in Jajpur district and one in Baripada.
Several of the Bhubaneswar properties are located in sought-after localities such as Niladri Vihar, Sailashree Vihar, Bomikhal and Ghatikia. Besides the real estate holdings, Vigilance recovered cash amounting to Rs 2.66 lakh during the searches. Gold ornaments were also found, and their weight and valuation are being assessed. Officials said details of bank deposits, postal savings, insurance policies and investments in various financial instruments are being verified. Two bank lockers operated in the name of Behera’s spouse at Axis Bank and Union Bank of India branches in Chandrasekharpur are yet to be opened.
The Vigilance Technical Wing has been tasked with measuring and assessing the market value of the buildings and land parcels. Searches were continuing till late Saturday, and officials said the exact extent of the alleged disproportionate assets would be known after completion of the ongoing verification and valuation process.
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