Vigilance finds 21 plots, Rs 1.06cr in deposits from asst exec engr in Angul

Bhubaneswar: Vigilance officers found that an assistant executive engineer (AEE) of Athmallik block in Angul district owned 21 high-value plots and had Rs 1.06 crore in bank deposits during searches at eight locations related to the official. The accused was identified as Rama Chandra Satpathy. The searches were carried out following warrants issued by the court of special judge, vigilance, Cuttack, on Wednesday.
Officers found Satpathy possessed a double-storey building, 21 high-value plots, gold ornaments, deposits of over Rs 1.06 crore and 350 grams of gold ornaments. At least Rs 23.95 lakh cash was seized from the house of his son-in-law, Dr Tapan Kumar Tripathy, a medical officer at a CHC in Kalahandi district. Both Satpathy and his son-in-law are being interrogated to ascertain the source of funds.
Additionally, the sleuths also recovered household articles worth over Rs 17.31 lakh, besides bank, postal & insurance deposits worth Rs 1,06,66,475, 2 two-wheelers and 2 four-wheelers: one each in the name of Satpathy and Tripathy. "The registered sale deed (RSD) value of 21 high-value plots, including 1 in Barang, Cuttack, and rest 20 plots in and around Dhenkanal town is around Rs 60.85 lakh. However, the actual value is likely to be much higher. Undervaluation of the plots during registration is suspected. A thorough probe has been initiated in this regard. The measurement and valuation/assessment of the building/ plots are being carried out by the vigilance technical wing. Unearthing of more assets is likely and overall valuation is likely to increase," stated a vigilance release.
At least 7 DSPs, 15 inspectors and other supporting staff searched a residential house in Dhenkanal along with his govt quarters, his office at the panchayat samiti in Athmallik, his paternal house in Dhenkanal, residential house of his in-laws at Junagarh in Kalahandi and Gandia in Dhenkanal and a built plot at Trisulia in Cuttack.
Satpathy joined govt service in Oct 1989 as junior engineer (JE). Thereafter, he worked as JE in different blocks in Malkangiri, Talcher, Kendrapada, Deogarh and Angul. In 2020, he was promoted to the rank of assistant engineer and posted at Kaniha block in Angul. In 2022, he was promoted to the rank of assistant executive engineer and posted in Athmallik block.