CUTTACK: Vigilance on Tuesday raided four locations linked to additional tehsildar of Cuttack’s Barang, Jitendra Kumar Panda over allegation of possession of disproportionate assets, and unearthed movable and immovable property worth crores of rupees.
Officials of the anti-corruption agency said they have so far unearthed two three-storey buildings in Badagada locality, a 2-BHK flat at Uttara in Bhubaneswar, another two-storey building at Sanapalla in Khurda, four high-value plots including three in Bhubaneswar and another in Khurda town, 500 gram gold jewellery and over `72.20 lakh cash including `70 lakh from his in-laws’ place in Badagada, bank and insurance deposits worth `20 lakh, a four-wheeler and four two-wheelers worth `23.40 lakh and other households articles worth `16 lakh.
While the assessment and valuation of the seized property is still underway, more assets are likely to be unearthed and the overall valuation is expected to increase, stated the Vigilance Directorate. “Inventorisation of three lockers being maintained by Panda at SBI main branch, SBI BJB Nagar branch and Central Bank at Kalpana Square in Bhubaneswar in the name of his wife and mother-in-law will be conducted on Wednesday,” it added.
The raids were carried out by four Vigilance teams comprising four DSPs, seven inspectors, one sub-inspector, eight ASIs and other supporting staff.
Fifty-year-old Panda had joined government service in 1995 as a senior laboratory assistant in the office of the director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Cuttack on Rehabilitation scheme will a monthly salary of `2,000. In 1997, he joined as senior laboratory assistant at the Odisha Biological Product Institution, Bhubaneswar. In 2020, he was promoted to the rank of ORS and joined as TRO under district sub-registrar, Bhubaneswar.
During 2021-2023, he worked as additional tehsildar in Pipili and as sub-registrar, Pipili from March 2023 to July 2023. Subsequently, he was posted as additional tehsildar in Barang, Cuttack.