The Odisha Vigilance Directorate today conducted simultaneous house searches at six locations linked to Rajesh Chandra Mohanty, Additional Chief Engineer, Dam Safety, Odisha, Bhubaneswar, recovering assets worth several crores that are allegedly disproportionate to his known sources of income.
According to an official press release, the raids—carried out on the strength of search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack—targeted properties in Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, and Cuttack. So far, investigators have unearthed:
- A palatial triple-storeyed residential building (approx. 3,000 sq ft) at Plot No. 210-B, Baramunda Housing Board Colony, Lane-8, Bhubaneswar.
- A farmhouse with a double-storeyed building (approx. 4,000 sq ft) spread over 1.71 acres at Bimbol, Bhapur, Dhenkanal.
- Eight valuable plots, including one in Bhubaneswar, one at Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur, and six at Bimbol, Bhapur, and Dhenkanal.
- Cash amounting to Rs 6.23 lakh.
- Gold ornaments weighing 350 grams.
- Bank deposits exceeding Rs 1.70 crore.
- Flight tickets worth Rs 13.47 lakh (under verification).
- Two four-wheelers (Hyundai Sportz and Honda City) and two two-wheelers.
- Household articles valued at approximately Rs 20.61 lakh.
The valuation and assessment of the buildings, farmhouse, and plots are being carried out by the Vigilance Technical Wing. Further searches are continuing, and officials expect the total value of recovered assets to rise.
Mohanty, born on April 14, 1968, joined government service on June 2, 1994, as a Stipendiary Engineer under the Odisha Housing Board with a monthly salary of just Rs 2,000. He was later transferred to various water resources and irrigation projects, rising through the ranks to become Additional Chief Engineer in July 2021. His current posting is in the office of the Engineer-in-Chief, Dam Safety, Bhubaneswar.
Six teams of Odisha Vigilance, led by one Additional SP, 11 DSPs, nine Inspectors, and eight ASIs, conducted the searches. Mohanty is currently being examined to determine the source of the assets. The enquiry is in progress.
