Odisha Vigilance officers unearthed a vast real estate empire linked to Umakant Samantaray, Assistant Director of Factories & Boilers, Sambalpur.
Simultaneous search operations conducted across multiple locations revealed that Samantaray—who entered government service in Feb 2009 with a modest initial salary of Rs 15,000 per month—accumulated extensive multi-city properties in his name and those of his family members.
Uncovered Immovable Assets
The technical wing of Odisha Vigilance is currently conducting measurement and valuation assessments on the following properties detected so far:
- Four Multi-Storeyed Buildings:
- 2,900 sq. ft. duplex in Nandan Vihar, Nandankanan Road, Bhubaneswar.
- 2,460 sq. ft. building near Indus College of Engineering, Barakuda (near Jatani), Bhubaneswar.
- 4,000 sq. ft. triple-storeyed building in Tota Behera Sahi, Baliguali, Puri.
- 4,000 sq. ft. double-storeyed building on Subash Marg, Balugaon, Khordha.
- Luxury Apartment: A 3-BHK flat spanning approximately 2,000 sq. ft. in Sun City Apartment, Dhankauda, Sambalpur.
- 24 High-Value Plots:
- 8 plots at prime locations in Bhubaneswar and Jatani.
- 3 plots on the outskirts of Khordha.
- 8 plots in and around Sambalpur town.
- 3 plots in Burla.
- 2 plots in Rengali.
Career Profile & Ongoing Probe
Born in March 1982, Samantaray joined state service in 2009 as Assistant Director of Factories & Boilers in Raurkela. He served there until Aug 2013 before being transferred to Angul, and subsequently posted to Sambalpur in Dec 2020, where he has remained stationed.
Vigilance officials confirmed that financial records, bank deposits, and other investments in financial instruments are actively being audited. Further updates are expected as searches continue.
