Bhubaneswar, Jun 6 (PTI) The Odisha Vigilance on Saturday unearthed assets worth crores of rupees, including more than Rs 2 crore in cash, five multi-storey buildings, 14 high-value plots, 341 gm of gold jewellery and deposits worth over Rs 45 lakh, during raids on properties linked to a government engineer in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
The Vigilance Department launched simultaneous searches at multiple locations linked to Baikuntha Nath Behera, an assistant executive engineer (AEE) with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Baliguda, in Kandhamal district.
In a statement, the department said the assets were detected in the name of Behera and his family members at different places, including Bhubaneswar, Jajpur and Baripada.
“We have located at least four lockers in the names of Behera and his wife. More than Rs 2 crore in cash has been seized from two bank lockers. Counting through bank machines is in progress,” a senior Vigilance official said.
The department said the measurement and valuation of the buildings and plots are being carried out by its technical wing, while the weight and valuation of gold ornaments, bank deposits, postal savings and other financial investments are being verified.
The searches are being conducted by teams comprising two additional superintendents of police, five deputy superintendents of police, six inspectors and other supporting staff under search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.
Simultaneous raids are underway at locations in Bhubaneswar, Baripada, Dharmasala in Jajpur district and Baliguda in Kandhamal district, officials said.
According to Vigilance records, Behera joined government service in 1999 as a junior engineer (civil) at Nabarangpur block with a monthly salary of Rs 6,000. He later served in various positions under the ITDA and other government establishments in Nabarangpur and Udala.
He was promoted to the post of assistant engineer in October 2016 and subsequently posted at ITDA, Nabarangpur. In February 2026, he was promoted as assistant executive engineer and posted at ITDA, Baliguda, where he continues to serve.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation, Vigilance sleuths arrested Dharma Niranjan Chaudhury, a Lineman-A of the Narsinghpur Electrical Section under TPCODL in Cuttack district, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a farmer.
The bribe was allegedly sought for replacing a damaged electric pole from the complainant’s agricultural land, officials said. PTI AAM AAM ACD
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