BHUBANESWAR: Baikuntha Nath Behera, an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Baliguda, Kandhamal district, is at the centre of a major Odisha Vigilance disproportionate assets probe after raids allegedly uncovered cash, gold, properties and bank deposits worth crores across multiple locations in the state.Behera, who entered government service in 1999 as a junior engineer (civil) on a monthly salary of about Rs 6,000, has risen through the engineering cadre over the past two decades. He was promoted as assistant engineer in 2016 and later elevated to AEE, serving at ITDA Baliguda at the time of the raids.Crores in cash, gold and property According to Vigilance officials, simultaneous searches conducted at multiple locations in Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, Baripada and Kandhamal led to the detection of alleged assets including over Rs 2 crore in cash, 341 grams of gold jewellery, fixed deposits worth more than Rs 45 lakh, and multiple high-value immovable properties.Officials said at least four bank lockers linked to Behera and his family were identified, with cash recovered from two lockers. Counting and verification of currency is still underway.13 plots, multiple buildings under scrutinyPreliminary findings suggest Behera and his family members own around 13 high-value plots and at least five multi-storey buildings, including residential properties in prime locations of Bhubaneswar and a double-storey building in Jajpur’s Dharmasala area.The Vigilance technical wing is currently assessing the market value of the properties to determine the extent of alleged disproportionate assets.Large-scale coordinated raidsThe searches were carried out simultaneously under warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar, involving multiple teams of senior officers, DSPs and inspectors.Officials said investigations are ongoing and further recoveries cannot be ruled out as verification of documents, bank accounts and property records continues.In a parallel operation, Vigilance officials also arrested a lineman of the Narsinghpur Electrical Section under TPCODL in Cuttack district for allegedly accepting a Rs 15,000 bribe from a farmer for replacing a damaged electric pole.
