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7 clusters · 15 sources · 50 days · First seen · Last updated

Odisha Vigilance corruption investigations

Overview

The Odisha Vigilance Department has expanded its anti-corruption operations, resulting in several high-profile arrests and the seizure of significant cash amounts. In Rourkela, Excise Superintendent Dhaneswar Barad was arrested after officials intercepted a vehicle carrying Rs 5 lakh in cash. Subsequent searches uncovered assets, including a double-storeyed building and bank deposits totaling approximately Rs 33.97 lakh, which authorities estimate are “100% in excess of his known income”. In Ganjam district, Assistant Sub-Inspector Sujit Panigrahi was apprehended while allegedly accepting a Rs 15,000 bribe. In Mayurbhanj, auditors Prasanta Kumar Pradhan and Pragyan Prakash Patra were arrested following the seizure of approximately Rs 14.43 lakh in cash. Investigations into a Rs 9.24 crore embezzlement scheme within the Office of the Superintending Engineer, Roads and Buildings (R&B) Division-I in Bhubaneswar led to the arrest of several individuals, including peons Dipak Kumar Routray and Laxman Biswal, and private data entry operators Rajib Lochan Senapati and Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, who allegedly colluded with Section Officer Banalata Mohanty and Junior Assistant Bibhudutta Nayak. The group used the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) to process fake sanction orders and bills, routing funds through 77 bank accounts. Recent operations have increasingly targeted engineers. Assistant Executive Engineer Anupama Sahoo of the Kendrapada Drainage Division was caught with Rs 7.15 lakh in cash. Assistant Executive Engineer Tapan Sethi of the Jajpur R&B Sub-Division was also targeted in raids uncovering a triple-storey mansion, multiple buildings, and 550 grams of gold jewellery. Furthermore, raids on Executive Engineer Arabinda Mohanty of the Betanoti R&B Sub-Division revealed high-value properties, including a triple-storey building and a five-acre farmhouse. Newer enforcement actions include the arrest of Assistant Executive Engineer Shishir Kumar Dash for allegedly possessing assets 160 per cent higher than his known income, with searches uncovering a four-storey building and significant cash.

Entities

Odisha Vigilance · Bhubaneswar · Somonath Sethy · Khordha · Sunabeda Wildlife Division

Timeline

  1. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Odisha Vigilance arrests forest official for ₹2.60 crore embezzlement

    Odisha Vigilance arrested Babulu Suna, a forest department official, for allegedly embezzling ₹2.60 crore using fraudulent bills and the identities of deceased or retired employees.

  2. [CRIME] 6 sources
    Odisha Vigilance raids unearth massive assets linked to Jajpur engineer

    Odisha Vigilance officials raided properties linked to Jajpur engineer Tapan Sethi, uncovering extensive real estate, gold, and luxury assets allegedly acquired through illicit means.

  3. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Odisha Vigilance raids engineer over disproportionate assets

    Odisha Vigilance officials seized extensive assets, including mansions, a five-acre farmhouse, and 20 land plots, during raids on government engineer Arabinda Mohanty for disproportionate wealth.

  4. [CRIME] 4 sources
    Odisha Vigilance arrests engineers in corruption and bribery cases

    Odisha Vigilance has arrested an engineer for possessing disproportionate assets and apprehended another engineer and an associate for accepting a bribe in Jajpur district.

  5. [CRIME] 5 sources
    Odisha Vigilance arrests four more in Rs 9.24 crore R&B fund fraud

    Odisha Vigilance arrested four more staffers in Bhubaneswar for an alleged Rs 9.24 crore fraud involving fake bills and diverted government funds through the R&B Division-I office.

  6. [CRIME] 10 sources
    Odisha Vigilance conducts anti-corruption operations and arrests multiple officials

    Odisha Vigilance has arrested several officials, including an Excise Superintendent and two auditors, following anti-corruption operations involving the seizure of large sums of suspected bribe money.

  7. [CRIME] 4 sources
    Odisha Vigilance seizes Rs 7.15 lakh from Kendrapada engineer

    Odisha Vigilance seized Rs 7.15 lakh from Kendrapada Drainage Division engineer Anupama Sahoo following allegations of bribery involving contractors.

Sources

bhaskarlive.in · deccanchronicle.com · desitalkchicago.com · dinalipi.com · kalingatv.com · latestly.com · mangalorean.com · newindianexpress.com · news18.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · odishabarta.com · odishabytes.com · orissapost.com · pragativadi.com · thefinancialworld.com

This summary has been updated 7 times: see revision history