TV
In a major development, Odisha Vigilance uncovered substantial assets during a raid on the property of Assistant Engineer Ashok Kumar Panda of R&B Division-III, Bhubaneswar, in connection with a disproportionate assets investigation.
The probe initially focused on another Assistant Engineer, Raja Kishore Jena, but during inquiry, it emerged that Jena and Panda had jointly purchased a flat in the names of their wives at Cosmopolis, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, indicating close financial dealings and joint property ownership.
On July 29, a Vigilance team arrived to search Panda’s flat (H-164, Tower-H, Cosmopolis), only to find it locked from outside. Despite attempts, Panda could not be contacted. Later that night, as officers prepared to seal the premises, it was discovered that Panda and his family had locked themselves inside the flat by bolting it from outside. Realising the house was about to be sealed, Panda eventually opened the door.
In a dramatic twist, a bag was found hanging outside the flat window the next day. Panda admitted to throwing it to evade detection. The bag contained Rs 1 lakh in cash, 60 grams of gold ornaments, a 10-gram silver coin, an Apple iPhone, vehicle keys, documents, and an original Record of Rights (ROR).
Subsequent searches revealed a string of properties and investments under Panda and his family’s names, including:
- Two shops in Utkal Kanika Galleria, Kalpana, Bhubaneswar
- One shop in Symphony Mall, Pahal
- A four-storied building at Somnath Nagar
- A three-storied building in Dumduma Housing Board Colony
- The Cosmopolis flat
- A Volkswagen Polo car (OD 02 T-8607)
- Postal deposits worth Rs 17 lakh in three accounts
Further searches and verifications are ongoing. Authorities are also examining Shri Raj Kishore Jena in connection with the jointly held assets, informed officials.
