The Odisha Vigilance on Saturday placed Prasanna Kumar Patra, Deputy Director of Soil Conservation-cum-Project Director, Watershed, Sundaragada, under arrest following the discovery of massive disproportionate assets.
The senior official will be produced before the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Sundaragada, later today as legal proceedings against him intensify.
The arrest comes on the heels of extensive simultaneous searches conducted across multiple properties linked to Patra. Anti-corruption sleuths unearthed a lavish portfolio of assets that the official failed to account for or explain satisfactorily during interrogation.
Unexplained Wealth Exposed
During the raids, Vigilance officials uncovered an array of high-value movable and immovable properties registered in his and his family’s names, including:
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4 Multi-Storeyed Buildings and 1 Luxury Flat located in prime areas of the state capital, Bhubaneswar.
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7 High-Value Real Estate Plots in strategic locations.
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Rs 1.46 Crore in various bank deposits and investments.
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212 Grams of Gold ornaments.
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Rs 1.29 Lakhs in hard cash.
When questioned about the source of funding for these extensive acquisitions, Patra was unable to provide a legitimate explanation or valid financial justification to the investigating authorities.
Legal Action Initiated
Following the findings, a criminal case has been registered at the Rourkela Vigilance Police Station (Case No. 13/2026) under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act.
Vigilance officials confirmed that further investigation into Patra’s financial transactions, property documents, and bank accounts is ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the disproportionate assets.
