Odisha Vigilance expanded its investigation into Assistant Executive Engineer Baikuntha Nath Behera of ITDA, Baliguda, Kandhamal, uncovering gold, silver, and properties worth crores.
Officials recovered 703 grams of gold and 375 grams of silver from Behera’s fifth bank locker, raising the total gold seized to 1.255 kilograms.
The Vigilance team inventoried assets following Behera’s arrest for possessing disproportionate assets. Searches revealed multiple luxury properties, including a four-storeyed building of 10,500 square feet at Niladri Vihar, Bhubaneswar, and a triple-storeyed building at Sailashree Vihar. Investigators also found double-storeyed houses at Kanan Vihar, Chandrasekharpur, and Jaydev Vihar, along with another building on paternal land at Pandua, Jajpur.
Officials identified 14 high-value plots—eight in Bhubaneswar, five in Dharmasala, and one in Baripada. The team seized ₹2.04 crore in cash, ₹45 lakh in deposits, gold jewellery weighing 552 grams, a Hyundai Creta car, and household articles worth Rs 44.35 lakh.
After detailed scrutiny, Vigilance calculated Behera’s assets at 798 per cent above his known sources of income. Investigators continue to examine financial records and property documents to trace additional holdings.
