On retirement day, Odisha chief engineer held for Rs 15cr assets, 483% more than income

BHUBANESWAR: A day after Baikunthanath Sarangi , chief engineer with Odisha's rural development department , was caught on camera tossing bundles of cash onto his neighbour's terrace during a vigilance raid at his Bhubaneswar house, officers arrested him on his day of retirement Saturday on charges of possessing disproportionate assets worth over Rs 15 crore.

Vigilance officers produced Sarangi before a designated court, which rejected his bail plea and remanded him in judicial custody. Officers said Sarangi's arrest was the 61st case against a Class I officer in the state this year in an ongoing anti-corruption drive . "Sarangi was found to be in possession of assets which were 483% more than his known sources of income," an officer said. He was booked under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

During searches, vigilance sleuths found two double-storey residential buildings, a flat each in Bhubaneswar and Puri, and seven high-value plots on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar and Angul belonging to Sarangi. Cash amounting to Rs 2.5 crore was also found. Sarangi had invested Rs 2.7 crore in the share market and Rs 1.5 crore in insurance and banks.

In another development, sleuths on Saturday conducted searches at locations related to assistant executive engineer (roads & buildings division-1) N Dillip Kumar Choudhury in Berhampur and Bhubaneswar for alleged disproportionate assets.

(With inputs from Hrusikesh Mohanty in Berhampur)