Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Saturday arrested Pabitra Mohan Panigrahi, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) at Chitrakonda Block in Malkangiri district, after seizure of over Rs 18 lakh unaccounted cash from him.
Vigilance said in a statement that Panigrahi was caught carrying suspected ill-gotten cash amounting to Rs 5, 07,000 during an interception a team on Friday. Following the interception, simultaneous searches were conducted at two locations linked to Panigrahi, resulting in the discovery of substantial movable and immovable assets.
The seized assets include:
– One 3 BHK flat with area around 1500 sq ft at Nandadevi Apartment, Damana Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar.
– 4 high value plots including 2 in Bhubaneswar, 1 in Bargarh town and 1 in Aska town, Ganjam.
– Gold jewellery weighing approximately 270 gms
– Cash Rs.13,04,200/-(during house search from his residential house at Bhubaneswar) + Rs.5,07,000/- (from personal search)= Rs.18,11,200/- total cash seized from Panigrahi.
– Investment in different Insurance policies worth over Rs.72.20 lakhs. Other deposits are under verification.
– 1 four-wheeler vehicle
The investigation is currently underway. Panigrahi, who joined government service in 1996 as a Junior Engineer-cum-Estimator, was promoted to AEE and posted at Chitrakonda Block in January 2023. He was further promoted to Assistant Executive Engineer in March 2024.
Panigrahi will be presented before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore. A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
