Odisha mining officer arrested for holding assets 500% above income

Bhubaneswar, Sept 3: Odisha Vigilance arrested Dharanidhar Nayak, the Deputy Director of Mines in Talcher, for allegedly amassing assets significantly exceeding his known income. The anti-graft unit reported that Nayak was detained for failing to justify his possession of assets valued at approximately Rs 5 crore, which were 500 percent more than his declared sources of income.

During a series of searches conducted across Angul, Keonjhar, and Khurda districts, investigators uncovered a substantial array of assets linked to Nayak. These include two multi-storey buildings, a 3-BHK flat in Bhubaneswar valued at Rs 1.30 crore, a 1,800 sq ft duplex also in Bhubaneswar, and two market complexes with a total of 19 shops. Additionally, Nayak held 11 plots, deposits amounting to Rs 53.53 lakh, household items worth Rs 54.70 lakh, and cash totaling over Rs 9.85 lakh.

Nayak had also secured a loan of Rs 75 lakh in 2022, which is suspected to have been repaid using illicit funds. The Vigilance Department has filed a case against him and his spouse under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigations are ongoing.

The seized assets include a four-wheeler (TATA Punch), two two-wheelers, and various household articles. Nayak, who began his government career in 2014, was initially posted as a mining officer in Koraput and later transferred to Talcher in 2021. He was promoted to Deputy Director in 2022.