Odisha Vigilance Arrests Ex-Chief Engineer With 2.5 Kg Gold, 370 Gram Diamond, 10 Flats

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Tuesday arrested former chief engineer (R&B) Tara Prasad Mishra for allegedly accumulating over Rs 16 crore assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

He was found in possession of 10 high-value flats in Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda, seven plots, gold ornaments weighing 2.555 kg, diamond ornaments weighing 370 gm, deposits to the tune of Rs 2.70 crore, Rs 6 lakh in cash, 2 high-end luxury cars, including a Mercedes Benz, which he could not explain satisfactorily, a Vigilance release said.

The anti-corruption agency’s officers had launched simultaneous searches at nine locations linked to him on Monday.

Currencies of various countries like the USA, Thailand, Vietnam, UAE, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore and branded wrist watches were also found during the raids. He also spent Rs 80 lakh on his daughter’s MBBS and MD courses.

He led a lavish lifestyle and had travelled to UAE, Vietnam, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada and Thailand. Some antique pieces from southeast Asian countries were found displayed in one of his flats, sources said.

Mishra joined as an assistant engineer on April 20, 1984, in the office of Chief Engineer, (R&B), Bhubaneswar. He was posted at Dhenkanal (R&B) sub-division from 1986- 92, Bhubaneswar municipality from 1992-95, Charbatia division from 1996-99 , Gunupur division from 1999-2000, then transferred to RD Department, Cuttack, where he worked from 2000-2003 and then at the Quality Control division from 2003-07.

Following his promotion as executive engineer, he was posted at Idco (2007-09), Bhawanipatna division (2009-13) and Panikoili division (2013- 19). He was promoted to the rank of superintending engineer and posted at Cuttack from 2019-21, then promoted as chief engineer, (R&B), Bhubaneswar, from where he retired in June 2023.