Odisha Vigilance recovers Rs 72 lakh cash from revenue service officer

The anti-corruption Vigilance wing of Odisha police on Tuesday stumbled upon wads of currency notes worth Rs 72 lakh rupees from the house of a revenue service officer and unearthed disproportionate assets including attention-grabbing buildings and high-value plots worth crores of rupees during simultaneous search operations at multiple locations.

50-year-old Jitendra Kumar Panda, Additional Tahasildar, Barang, in the Cuttack district, who has come under Vigilance scanner, incidentally joined government service under Rehabilitation Scheme at Rs 2,000-a-month salary.

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Panda is being quizzed to ascertain the source of the assets. Further searches are continuing. Unearthing of more assets is likely and overall valuation is likely to increase.

The suspected ill-gotten assets, amassed by Panda and his family members, include a triple storeyed building with area 4000 Square feet at Badagada in Bhubaneswar, another triple storeyed building with area 4000 Sqft. Located at Badagada Brit Colony in Bhubaneswar, a 2 BHK flat with area approximately 1250 Sqft at Uttara area in Bhubaneswar, a double storeyed building with area 4800 Square feet at Sanapalla in Khordha, four high value plots including 3 in posh area of Bhubaneswar & 1 in Khordha town.

The measurement and valuation of the above buildings/flat/ plots are being carried out by Vigilance Technical Wing.

Furthermore, gold jewellery weighing approximately 500 grams were found in Panda’s house. The inventorization of 3 lockers being maintained at nationalized banks in Bhubaneswar in name of the spouse and Mother-in-law of Panda will be conducted tomorrow.

Besides, cash to the tune of 72,20,920 (Rs 72.20 lakh), Bank & Insurance deposits worth approximately Rs.20 lakhs, a four wheeler and four two wheelers worth around Rs.23.41 lakhs and household articles worth around Rs.16 lakh were also found during simultaneous search operations.

Panda entered into Government Service on 10 November 1995 as Senior Laboratory Assistant in the office of the Director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Cuttack on Rehabilitation Scheme with monthly initial salary Rs.2,000.

On 16 may 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Odisha Revenue Service and joined as Training Reserve Officer under District Sub-Registrar, Bhubaneswar. Then from 26 February 2021 to 11 March 2023, he worked as Additional Tahasildar, Pipili in Puri district. Later he worked as Sub-Registrar, Pipili. On 1 July 2023, he was posted as Additional Tahasildar, Baranga, Cuttack on transfer and he is continuing as such till date.

In another disproportionate asset search operation today, 6 locations of Jitendra Kumar Jena, Panchayat Executive Officer, Bancho Gram Panchayat under Hatadihi Block in Keonjhar district, movable and immovable assets worth crores of rupees have been unearthed so far, in the name of Jena and his family members.