Odisha Vigilance arrests Lower Suktel’s chief construction engineer; 36 plots detected 

The Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested Sunil Kumar Rout, the chief construction engineer of the Lower Suktel project in Bolangir, on charges of amassing properties disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The raids were carried out on the property of Rout and his relatives located in Bhubaneswar, Puri, Angul, Cuttack and Bolangir on Thursday. 

The raids were carried out at a triple-storey residential building at Niladri Vihar in Bhubaneswar, a double-storey building at Nayapalli in Bhubaneswar, a flat at VIP Road in Puri, a flat at Grand Road in Puri, his paternal house at Gurudijhatia in Cuttack, the house of his son at Kishorenagar in Angul, his relative’s house at Nayapalli in Bhubaneswar, his house in Bolangir and his office in Bolangir. 

During the raids, the sleuths discovered Rout’s 36 plots including two plots acquired outside Odisha in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh were unearthed. The plots are located near Vrindaban Chandrodayo Mandir, Chhatikara Road, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Further details of the area, cost etc are being ascertained, the Vigilance informed.

“We have discovered his property that includes a three-storey building at Niladri Vihar, a two-storey building at Nayapalli, two flats in Puri, a flat in Mathura, and money deposited in banks, LIC, etc.,” said RK Panda, Additional SP, Vigilance Department, Cuttack Cell. 

Former police officer Sarat Sahu said the vigilance department should find out who were on the payroll of Rout and make the information public.

As per the information shared by the Vigilance department, investment and savings etc made by Rout were computed and it is found he has paid premium of Rs. 1.86 crore to various Insurance companies. Further, bank deposits of Rs.40.39 lakhs have been ascertained so far. Total deposits assessed so far are over Rs.2.26 crores.  Further details of investments made in shares and other financial instruments are being verified. 

The farmhouse at Saptasajya, Dhenkanal is spreading over an approximately 8-acre area. During raids, a two-storeyed residential building, one poultry farm of 2123 Sqft. area wherein about 1000 number of country chickens and ducks and one cow shed of 2550 sqft. wherein  45 numbers of cows and 25 numbers of calves were found inside the farmhouse.

While the valuation of assets in the farmhouse was being made with the help of veterinary officers, the inventory of lockers was also taken up.