Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Friday unearthed 2.51 crore in cash, two multi-storey buildings, two flats and seven high-value plots belonging to Chief Engineer of Rural Works (RW) Department, Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, during raids over suspected disproportionate assets.
Insurance and bank deposits, amounting of Rs 1.5 crore, were also detected. He has also invested 2.7 crore in shares, a Vigilance release said.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Engineer, in a bid to escape the raid, threw bundles of Rs 500 notes out of the window of his flat in Bhubaneswar as the vigilance officers arrived. Cash concealed in a carton was also recovered, taking the total to Rs 2.51 crore.
Assets detected in the name of Sarangi and his family members are as follows:
1. One double-storey residential building at Karadagadia, Angul.
2. Another double-storey building at Matia Sahi, Angul.
3. Flat at PDN Exotica in Dumduma, Bhubaneswar.
4. Another flat at Siula, Pipili, Puri.
5. 7 plots on the outskirts of Puri & Angul.
6. Rs 2.51 crore in cash (Rs 1.30 crore seized from residential house at Angul & another Rs.1.21 crore from flat in Bhubaneswar).
7. Rs 2.70 crore invested in share market.
8. Bank and Insurance deposits worth Rs 1.5 crore.
9. One four wheeler (Maruti Swift ZXI).
The measurement and valuation/assessment of the buildings/flats/ plots are being carried out by Vigilance Technical Wing. One locker being maintained at Axis Bank, Angul, in name of his wife is yet to be opened, it added.
Sarangi joined government service on September 30, 1991, as stipendiary engineer in Kaniha block under Panchayati Raj Department consolidated pay of Rs 2,000/month. Then, he worked as stipendiary engineer in different blocks across the state of Odisha till July 1999. On October 15, 1999, he was regularised as assistant engineer and posted to PWD Division, Sundargarh. He worked under different PWD Divisions and RD Sub-Division, Talcher, till 2012. In 2014, he was promoted to the rank of assistant executive engineer and posted to RD Sub-Division, Athamallik. In October 2016, he was promoted to the rank of executive engineer and posted to RD Division, Deogarh. In January- 023, he was promoted as additional chief engineer and since February 2025, he had been serving as chief rngineer, Plan Roads, RW Department.
