CBI uncovers vast assets of Odisha conman Ajit Patra

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered extensive assets linked to notorious middleman Ajit Patra. Over decades, Patra allegedly posed alternately as an income tax officer and a GST commissioner, exploiting government protocols to amass wealth, official sources said on Thursday.

Also Read: CBI arrests Odisha conman from Rajasthan; Rs 3.7 crore cash, 1kg gold and luxury cars seized in nationwide raids

The Delhi-based CBI investigation revealed a long list of influential individuals connected to Patra, shedding light on how he orchestrated a vast network of illegal brokerage operations. It is said that the CBI authorities have seized properties worth crores, reportedly acquired through Patra’s illicit dealings.

On Tuesday, the CBI arrested Ajit Patra in Rajasthan as part of an ongoing probe. Investigators continue to examine the full extent of his operations and the network of associates who allegedly assisted him in circumventing government rules.

The fraud case has sparked widespread attention, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities that allowed decades of manipulation and accumulation of illegal wealth.

“Ajit Patra in connivance with his assistant Minku Lal Jain indulged in illegal activities of impersonating himself as very senior bureaucrat and also claiming to be close to senior government officers and thereby dishonestly obtaining undue favours from various senior public servants, and private persons in lieu of favouring them in their transfer postings, promotion, protecting them from departmental actions, obtaining high value tenders from various government departments and for solving various types of issues,” the CBI said.

“They are engaged in acts of impersonation, presenting themselves as senior officials, such as members of the judiciary, enforcement agencies and various other government department officials or other authorities, to obtain undue advantage or influence others. This behaviour is typically aimed at securing access, information, or preferential treatment in various public and private institutions, demanding and accepting bribes from various public servants as well as private persons, by promising to get various tasks done by influencing various public servants,” an FIR lodged by the CBI-New Delhi mentioned.

The agency earlier informed that Patra was caught red-handed in Rajasthan while accepting a bribe of Rs 18 lakh, following which searches across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Odisha uncovered Rs 3.7 crore in cash, over 1 kg of gold jewellery, and multiple high-end vehicles.

During these searches, investigators seized 26 property documents in the names of Patra and his relatives, and a fleet of 16 vehicles, including 4 luxury cars. Several digital devices, documents, and fake identification materials were also recovered.