Berhampur: State vigilance arrested an assistant executive engineer in Ganjam district, a day before his retirement, for amassing assets around 163% more than his known sources of income.The assets of Susil Kumar Panda (60) included a three-storeyed building at Ramhari Nagar, two flats in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur, six high-valued plots in Bhubaneswar, Khurda and Berhampur, cash around Rs 2.05 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 126gm, a four-wheeler and two two-wheelers. Additionally, there were bank and insurance deposits around Rs 1.12 crore and household articles worth Rs 10 lakh.After a thorough search and calculation of his income and expenditure, the vigilance sleuths found him in possession of disproportionate assets, vigilance sources said. Probe on the case is underway.A case was registered against Panda and his spouse in this regard at Berhampur vigilance as he could not explain the sources of his income to amass assets worth crores.The vigilance sleuths conducted simultaneous raids on Saturday in seven places – at his office in Ganjam, a flat at Ankuli and Puri, his multi-storeyed building at Ramhari Nagar, his paternal house at Gudiali, his in-law’s house at Bedha and a flat belonging to his brother in the city.Panda entered govt service as a contractual junior engineer at Sanakhemundi block in Ganjam district in 1977. He worked as a junior engineer in different blocks until 2015. His post was regularised in August 2015. In 2023, he was promoted to assistant executive engineer at Ganjam block. He was scheduled to retire on Monday, sources said.
