Cash rains out of Odisha govt employee's window as officials raid his home; seize over ₹2 crore

Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, Chief Engineer of Plan Roads at Odisha's RW division, was under the vigilance team's radar in a suspected disproportionate assets case.

Published on: May 30, 2025, 12:30:12 IST

By HT News Desk

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Odisha Vigilance on Friday recovered more than ₹2 crore in cash and valuable assets from the possession of a government engineer during a raid at his home over suspected disproportionate assets.

Around ₹1 crore cash was seized from the chief engineer's Bhubaneswar flat, while another ₹1.1 crore was found at his Angul residence. (X/@iamsuffian)

The Odisha Police's anti-corruption wing carried out raids at the residences and the office of Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, the Chief Engineer of Plan Roads at the state's RW division in Bhubaneswar, news agency PTI reported.

Officials said that the search operations at these locations were still underway.

Of the cash recovered from Sarangi, officials said, around ₹1 crore in cash was seized from his Bhubaneswar flat, while ₹1.1 crore was found at his residence in Angul.

ALSO READ | ED seizes ₹44 lakh cash concealed in secret wall cupboard

However, as soon as Sarangi's eye caught the officials entering his building, he decided to make it rain cash. He "threw bundles of cash in ₹500 denomination through the window of his flat in Bhubaneswar. The cash was recovered in the presence of witnesses," another official said.

Sarangi is accused of possessing assets that are disproportionate to his income. Search warrants issued by the Special Vigilance Judge at Angul allowed officials to carry out simultaneous raids.

An official said that the vigilance team located a two-storey residential house at Angul's Karadagadia and flats in Bhubaneswar, Siula, and Pipli in Puri district.

ALSO READ | ED seizes ₹1.70 cr cash, documents in raids against Jaypee Infratech Ltd, others

Search operations were also conducted at Sarangi's ancestral house and relatives' home in Angul. Officials also raided his office chamber located at the Chief Engineer, RD Planning and Road, Bhubaneswar.

In another financial crime-related case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a deputy director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Odisha for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹20 lakh from a Bhubaneswar-based businessman.

ALSO READ | Torres scam: ED searches in Mumbai and Surat, seizes ₹6.30 crore cash

The arrested ED official, Chintan Raghuvanshi, allegedly demanded ₹5 crore from businessman Ratikanta Rout, who runs a stone-mining business in Dhenkanal, for giving him "relief" in a case registered against him.

Raghuvanshi, a 2013 batch IRS officer of Customs and Indirect Taxes, was allegedly caught by the central agency during the trap operation it set up for him. Later, he was arrested after questioning, officials said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.