DA case: Odisha Vigilance unearths assets worth crores during searches

Bhubaneswar, May 23 (IANS) The Odisha Vigilance on Friday unearthed assets worth crores during houses searches at different properties linked to Susanta Kumar Sethy, junior engineer (JE), of Roads and Buildings Division (R&B), posted at Khariar in Nuapada district, an official said on Friday.

On the allegations of possession of assets disproportionate to the known sources of income, simultaneous house searches were conducted on the properties of Sethy, on Thursday at different places in Bhubaneswar, Pipili (Puri), Nuapada.

The places where the raids were conducted include his government quarter at Nuapada, farm house located in Pipili area of Puri district, house of a relative and houses of his associates in Bhubaneswar, etc.

“As many as eight teams of Odisha Vigilance comprising seven Deputy Superintendents of Police, three Inspectors, 10 ASIs, and other supporting staff conducted the search on the strength of search warrants issued by the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar,” said a senior official.

During the house searches, the vigilance officials found accused Sethy and his family members possessing three multi-storey buildings, one farmhouse, nine high valued plots including three plots in Bhubaneswar, five in Pipili, Puri and one in Rayagada town, gold ornaments 100 gm, bank and Insurance deposits worth Rs 55 lakh, one 4-wheeler, five 2-wheelers, one Benami four-wheeler and household articles worth around Rs 10 lakh.

The vigilance sources revealed that the Registered Sale Deed (RSD) value of the landed plots is valued at Rs.1.01 Crore. However, the actual value is likely to be much higher.

The anti-corruption wing of Odisha government suspects undervaluation of the plots during registration.

The measurement and valuation of the buildings, farmhouse and landed plots are being carried out by the Vigilance Technical Wing to ascertain the actual value of the above properties of Sethy.

In another case, the vigilance officials on Friday caught Gopal Krishna Pradhan, Senior Revenue Assistant (SRA), Baripada Municipality of Mayurbhanj district, red handed while receiving illegal inducement from a trader for processing his application for allotting the two existing shops in his father’s name at the Baripada Municipality market complex, in name of complainant due to the passing of his father.

The complainant was requesting Pradhan to process his application since January 2025 but the accused insisted on him paying the bribe amount to initiate his application. Left with no other option, the complainant approached Vigilance authorities who arrested the accused on Friday.

--IANS

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