Vigilance sleuths on Sunday arrested Baikuntha Nath Behera, assistant executive engineer at the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Baliguda, Kandhamal district, in connection with a disproportionate assets case. The arrest followed raids at multiple locations that allegedly unearthed huge assets, including buildings, plots, gold, cash, and bank deposits.
Raids and Seizures
According to Vigilance officials, simultaneous searches were conducted at nine locations linked to Behera on June 6, including his residence and office. Cell Division Vigilance SP Sushant Kumar Biswal said, 'The incident took place in the Kandhamal district of Odisha. Baikuntha Nath Behera, who is working as an assistant executive engineer at the ITDA office, is under investigation for assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Based on that, we conducted raids on the 6th at a total of nine locations, including his residence and office.'
During the raid, officials found six buildings, 14 plots of land, 552 grams of gold, and cash deposits worth around Rs 45 lakh. 'He is being arrested today and produced before the court. The investigation is ongoing; more details will emerge later,' Biswal added.
Properties Detected
Earlier, Vigilance sources had said searches led to the detection of multiple immovable properties, including multi-storeyed buildings and high-value land parcels across Odisha. Sources said four houses were detected in Bhubaneswar, while another double-storeyed building spread over around 2,500 sq ft was found at Pandua in Jajpur district’s Dharmasala area. Officials also detected several plots, including parcels in Bhubaneswar, Dharmasala, and Baripada. The Vigilance technical wing is carrying out measurement and valuation of the properties, and the exact valuation is yet to be determined, sources added.
Investigation Details
The searches were carried out by a Vigilance team comprising additional SPs, DSPs, inspectors, and supporting staff. According to officials, Behera joined government service as a junior engineer (civil) in Nabarangpur district on August 16, 1999, with a monthly salary of Rs 6,000. He was promoted as assistant executive engineer on February 12 and posted at ITDA, Baliguda, where he has continued in service. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the case progresses.
