Odisha RWSS engineer in vigilance net, raids underway in Bhubaneswar

Acting on allegations of accumulating disproportionate assets, the Odisha Vigilance sleuths raided the house of an Assistant Executive Engineer of the RWSS, Udala in Mayurbhanj, Rabinarayan Panda on Monday.

As per reports, simultaneous raids were conducted in eight places linked to Panda including Bhubaneswar, Kendrapara and Udala.

The operation was led by one Additional SP, eight Deputy SPs, five Inspectors, one Sub-inspector, 11 ASIs and other staff following a search warrant issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.

Sources said, simultaneous raids are underway at "a 3-storeyed building at Aiginia in Bhubaneswar, a 2-BHK flat at Patrapara in Bhubaneswar, a construction firm at Khandagiri, premises of Triveni Autotech Pvt Ltd at Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, a house in Danpur, Kendrapara, his relative’s house at Kansara, po-Ostapur Dist-Kendrapara, office chamber at RWS&S Sub-division, Udala, Dist- Mayurbhanj and his official residence at Udala in Mayurbhanj".

During the searches so far, the following movable and immovable assets worth crores were unearthed in the possession of Panda, Assistant Executive Engineer and his family members:

1)    One triple-storeyed building with a plinth area of 4865 sqft, over plot no. 992 KC-01, Kharvel Complex, Aiginia, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar.
2)    One 2BHK flat no 401 in D Block’s 4th floor of Tower Blue Hill apartment at Patrapara, Bhubaneswar. 
3)    12 plots including five plots in the prime area of Bhubaneswar, two plots in Cuttack, and five plots in Kendrapara. 
4)    Bank and Insurance deposits worth over Rs 1.20 crore. 
5)    Gold weighing approximately one Kg. 
6)    Cash Rs 26.9 lakh
7)    Four 4-wheelers (Tata Hexa, Tata Yodha, Mahindra Thar and Maruti Suzuki Ritz) worth over Rs 45 lakh. 
8)    Three 2-wheelers worth Rs 2.67 lakh.

Further examination is underway to ascertain source of the assets. Even the team of Vigilance is also continuing further searches. Unearthing more assets is likely and overall valuation is likely to increase. 

The vigilance raid comes on the hills of a recent unearthing of crypto links by a RWSS Additional Chief Engineer, Nihar Ranjan Das. As per reports, the vigilance sleuths unearthed disproportionate property worth Rs 8 crore and crypto currencies amounting to Rs 1.75 crore from Das' possession, and further investigation is underway.

Das was later arrested.

(Reported by Alok Mohanty, OTV)