Jagatsinghpur Dy Collector Arrested By Odisha Vigilance For Amassing Assets 191% Higher Than Income

Bhubaneswar: Odisha vigilance sleuths on Wednesday arrested Jagatsinghpur Deputy Collector Chitta Ranjan Pilla for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets which are 191 per cent higher than his known legal sources of income.

Pilla was arrested and forwarded to the Special Judge, Vigilance in Bhubaneswar for possession of disproportionate assets, which he could not account for satisfactorily. He was remanded to jail custody till January 10, 2023, Vigilance sources said.

During house searches, the following movable and immovable assets were unearthed in the name of Pilla:

• Flat at Gadakana, Mancheswar in Bhubaneswar.
• Flat at Chandaka in Bhubaneswar.
• Flat at Rangamatia in Bhubaneswar.
• Flat at Sunahat in Balasore.
• Flat at Sunahat, Balasore.
• A double storeyed building at Sonepur Town.
• A double storeyed building at Naighati in Balasore.
• 11 plots including 1 plot in prime area of Bhubaneswar, 10 plots in Birmaharajpur, Sonepur, Baliapal and Narayanpur, Balasore.
• Cash Rs 1,85,285/-.
• Bank, Insurance deposits and investment in Mutual Funds worth approx Rs 48.71 Lakh.
• 2 four wheelers worth Rs 11.40 Lakh.
• 3 two wheelers worth over Rs.3.24 Lakh.
• Gold & household articles worth over Rs.13.64 Lakhs.

After thorough search, inventory and further enquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of the Deupty Collector were calculated and he was found in possession of disproportionate assets which is 191% higher than his known sources of income.

Further investigation of the case is in progress.

Pilla had joined government service as Junior Clerk on February 10, 1993 and served at Patnagarh Tehasil, Bolangir, Ranpur Tahasil and DRDA, Sonepur.

In 2006, he got promotion to the rank of Sr Clerk and served in various posts at Sonepur. In September, 2018 he was selected to ORS and joined as Asst. Collector at Boudh and continued there till 2019. In October, 2019 he joined as Addl. Tehsildar, Bhubaneswar, it said.

Recently, on October 19, 2022, he was selected to OAS and joined at the office of the Collector, Jagatsinghpur as Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition) and was continuing there till date, it added.