₹2 crore cash, 14 plots, 341 gm gold: Odisha Vigilance department unearths govt engineer's assets

Odisha's Vigilance Directorate has unearthed a substantial cache of assets belonging to government engineer Baikuntha Nath Behera, who is under investigation for possessing disproportionate wealth. The anti-corruption body's search on Saturday revealed over ₹2 crore in cash, five multi-storey buildings, 14 high-value plots, and 341 grams of gold jewelry, alongside deposits exceeding ₹45 lakh.

Behera, currently serving as an assistant executive engineer with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Baliguda, Kandhamal district, allegedly accumulated these assets over his career. Investigations indicate that properties linked to Behera and his family members were found across multiple locations, including Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, and Baripada.

According to a senior Vigilance official, at least four lockers registered in the names of Behera and his wife were located, with a significant portion of the seized cash recovered from two bank lockers. The department is currently verifying the weight and value of the gold, along with other financial investments such as bank deposits and postal savings.

Officials stated that the raids were conducted simultaneously at several locations based on search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar. Behera began his career in 1999 as a junior engineer with a modest salary, later being promoted to assistant engineer in 2016. The Vigilance department is continuing its verification and valuation of all discovered assets.

“

We have located at least four lockers in the names of Behera and his wife. More than ₹2 crore in cash has been seized from two bank lockers. Counting through bank machines is in progress.