Vigilance Unearths Lavish Assets Amassed by TPSODL JE in Malkangiri

The bribe was solicited in exchange for facilitating an electricity connection to the factory, highlighting ongoing issues of graft within the power sector.

The arrest followed a meticulously planned trap operation conducted by Vigilance officials yesterday. Nayak, who has been in government service since 2004, was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount. Following his apprehension, simultaneous searches were launched at multiple locations linked to him to investigate potential disproportionate assets (DA).

During these raids, authorities uncovered a trove of assets that appear disproportionate to Nayak’s known sources of income. The unearthed items include:

• A double-storeyed building spanning approximately 2,000 square feet in Berhampur town.
• Five high-value plots located in and around Bhubaneswar and Berhampur.
• Gold ornaments weighing around 150 grams.
• One four-wheeler (Maruti Grand Vitara) and two two-wheelers.

Nayak’s career trajectory began on September 8, 2004, when he joined as a Technician Apprentice under SOUTHCO in Berhampur, with an initial salary of just Rs 3,000 per month. He served in this capacity at various locations, including Bhanjanagar, Buguda, and Aska. In 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Junior Engineer and transferred to TPSODL in Malkangiri, where he has been posted ever since.

Vigilance officials have described the case as a classic example of how low-level public servants can accumulate wealth through illicit means over time. Nayak has been arrested and is set to be produced before the Court of the Honourable Special Judge, Vigilance, in Jeypore today. A separate inquiry into the disproportionate assets angle is ongoing, with investigators probing the origins of his wealth and any potential accomplices.

Further updates on the investigation are expected as the DA probe progresses.