₹2 crore cash, 13 plots, 300 gm gold: Odisha Vigilance department unearths govt engineer's assets

Odisha Vigilance launched simultaneous raids at nine locations linked to Behera across Bhubaneswar, Baliguda, Baripada and other locations on Saturday.

Updated on: Jun 7, 2026, 10:39:35 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Odisha Vigilance team on Saturday recovered nearly ₹2 crore in cash and over 300 grams of gold from bank lockers linked to an assistant executive engineer (AEE) of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Kandhamal district’s Baliguda during a disproportionate assets probe.

The cash and multiple properties linked to the accused were found during simultaneous raids conducted by Odisha's Vigilance department on Saturday. (X/@PTI_News)

Director of Vigilance YK Jethwa said there were allegations that Baikuntha Nath Behera possessed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, adding that bundles of currency notes were found stacked inside bank lockers.

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Vigilance officers said cash of around ₹2 crore was recovered from two lockers registered in the name of Behera’s wife. More than 300 grams of gold ornaments were also recovered from another locker in Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar.

Odisha Vigilance launched simultaneous raids at nine locations linked to Behera across Bhubaneswar, Baliguda, Baripada and Dharmasala in Jajpur district earlier on Saturday.

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The searches revealed a string of high-value immovable assets, including four palatial houses in Bhubaneswar and a double-storeyed ancestral property at Pandua in Jajpur district, allegedly owned by Behera and his family members.

Officers have identified 13 plots linked to the engineer and his family, including seven in prime localities of Bhubaneswar, five in Dharmasala of Jajpur district and one in Baripada.

Officers reportedly found other valuables during the searches. Authorities are now examining documents and verifying whether the assets are commensurate with Behera’s declared income.

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The case comes months after Odisha Vigilance recorded its biggest-ever cash seizure in February this year, when more than ₹4 crore was recovered from trolley bags and almirahs at a Bhubaneswar flat linked to Debabrata Mohanty, the then deputy director of mines, Cuttack Circle, who was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe from a licensed coal trader.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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