Cuttack: The Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Tuesday unearthed two multi-storey buildings, a flat and three plots in Bhubaneswar during raids on properties linked to Additional Tehsildar of Cuttack’s Barang Jitendra Kumar Panda on allegation of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
This apart, Rs 75 lakh in cash, which he had stashed in the locked house of his mother-in-law at Britt Colony, in Bhubaneswar’s Badagada was also seized. His mother-in-law is bedridden and residing with him, a Vigilance release said.
The simultaneous searches were conducted at four places in Bhubaneswar, Khurda and his office chamber in Cuttack by teams led by 4 DSPs, 7 inspectors, one SI and eight ASIs.
Assets recovered in names of Panda and his family member are as follows:
1. A triple-storey building over 4000 sqft area at Gopaluni Nagar, Badagada, Bhubaneswar..
2. Another triple-storey building o
ver 4000 sqft area at Badagada Brit Colony, Bhubaneswar.
3. A 2 BHK flat over 1250 sqft area at Uttara, Bhubaneswar.
4. A double-storey building over 4800 sqft area at Sanapalla, Khurda.
5. Four high-value plots – Three in posh area of Bhubaneswar & one in Khurda town.
6. Rs.6,20,000 in cash
7. Gold jewellery weighing 100 grams
8. One four-wheeler (KIA Seltos) & 4 two-wheelers.
The release further stated that measurement and valuation/assessment of the buildings/flat/plots are being carried out by Vigilance Technical Wing. Bank, postal deposits and other investments are being ascertained. A locker at SBI, Bhubaneswar, is still to be opened.
Panda began his career as a laboratory assistant at the office of the Director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Cuttack on Rehabilitation Scheme with monthly initial salary Rs. 2,000. On July 15, 1997, Panda was transferred to Odisha Biological Product Institution, Bhubaneswar, where he joined as senior laboratory assistant. He was promoted to the rank of ORS and joined as TRO under District Sub-Registrar, Bhubaneswar, on May 16, 2020. From February 26, 2021, to March 11, 2023, he worked as Additional Tehsildar in Pipili and as a Sub-Registrar from March 11, 2023, to July 1, 2023. He was posted as Additional Tehsildar at Baranga on July 1, 2023.