Bhubaneswar, April 8 – Continuing its crackdown on corrupt state government employees, the Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday unearthed significant assets during simultaneous searches at properties linked to a senior official of the Department of Water Resources, based on allegations of accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income.
“Based on the allegation of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, simultaneous searches were conducted on the properties of Rajesh Chandra Mohanty, Additional Chief Engineer, Dam Safety, Odisha, Bhubaneswar, at six locations in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, and Dhenkanal districts, on Wednesday,” informed vigilance sources.
The raids were carried out at six locations, including a three-story residential building at the Baramunda Housing Board Colony in Bhubaneswar, his paternal house at Kolhasingh village under the Badachana police station in Jajpur district, the house of his relative at Deula Sahi, Jubilee Town in Dhenkanal, his office chamber as Additional Chief Engineer, Dam Safety, Bhubaneswar, a two-story building and farmhouse at Bimbol in Bhapur, Dhenkanal, and the house of his associate at Nayabazar under the Chauliaganj police station in Cuttack district.
As many as six teams of Odisha Vigilance, led by one Additional Superintendent of Police, 11 Deputy Superintendents of Police, nine Inspectors, eight Assistant Sub-Inspectors, and other supporting staff, conducted the searches based on the search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack.
During the searches, the vigilance found Mohanty in possession of assets worth crores, including a large, multi-story building in Bhubaneswar, a farmhouse with a two-story building spanning 1.71 acres, eight valuable plots, including one each in Bhubaneswar and at Kalinga Nagar, Jajpur, and six at Bhapur, Dhenkanal, deposits of over Rs 1.70 crore, cash amounting to Rs 6.23 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 350 grams, and two four-wheelers.
Mohanty is being examined by vigilance officials to determine the source of the assets, and further uncovering of additional assets is likely, which may increase the overall valuation.