Bhubaneswar, June 24: The Odisha Vigilance Department has intensified its crackdown on corrupt government officials, conducting simultaneous raids on multiple properties belonging to Padmalochan Nayak, the Executive Engineer of the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) in Sambalpur. He is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
A senior official from the Vigilance Department stated, “On June 23, we launched a search operation at seven locations across Sambalpur, Cuttack, Balasore, and Malkangiri districts based on allegations of holding assets beyond known income sources.”
The locations raided included Nayak’s rented house in Dhanupali, Sambalpur, a three-story residential building in Vidyadharapur, Cuttack, and a house in Mukhalis village, Balasore district.
The operation was carried out by seven teams of the Vigilance Department, led by four Deputy Superintendents of Police, along with 13 inspectors, seven assistant sub-inspectors, and other staff, based on search warrants issued by the Special Vigilance Judge in Sambalpur.
During the searches, officials uncovered assets worth millions, including three houses, 18 valuable plots, gold jewelry worth approximately ₹20 lakh, ₹3.45 lakh in cash, and foreign currency from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bahrain, and the USA.
Additionally, three four-wheelers, two JCB machines, a tractor, and a trailer were also seized. Of the 18 plots, five are located in Bhubaneswar, three in Cuttack, six in the Korei area of Jajpur district, three in the Basta area of Balasore district, and one in the Delanga area of Puri district.
Officials suspect Nayak has made several trips to Sri Lanka and may have been involved in gambling activities there, which is currently under investigation. According to Vigilance sources, inquiries are ongoing to trace the origins of the seized assets, and more properties may be revealed as the search operation continues.
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