Odisha Vigilance unearths crores in assets from Chief Engineer’s properties

Bhubaneswar, May 30: The Odisha Vigilance Department has unearthed a massive amount of unaccounted assets during ongoing raids on properties linked to Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, the Chief Engineer of Plan Roads under the RW Department in Bhubaneswar. Investigations revealed that nearly ₹2.70 crore had been invested in the share market, further adding to the extensive list of assets detected.

Search operations were carried out at seven different locations, including Angul, Bhubaneswar, and Pipili in Puri district. So far, officials have recovered cash amounting to ₹2.52 crore, hidden at various locations, including inside a carton. The raids also revealed two double-storey houses in Angul, two flats—one in PDN Exotica, Dumduma, Bhubaneswar (1530 sq ft), and another in Siula, Pipili (1100 sq ft)—along with seven high-value plots on the outskirts of Angul and Bhubaneswar. Additionally, deposits worth ₹1.5 crore in banks and insurance, one Maruti Swift ZXI car, and a sealed locker in Sarangi’s wife’s name at Axis Bank, Angul, have also come under scrutiny.

These raids were prompted by allegations of disproportionate assets beyond Sarangi's known income sources. The Vigilance Technical Wing is currently calculating the total worth of the assets recovered.

Sarangi began his career as a Stipendiary Engineer in the Panchayati Raj Department, earning ₹2,000 a month. He worked in several blocks across Odisha before being regularized as an Assistant Engineer in 1999 and posted to Sundargarh. His professional journey saw him serve in various divisions, rising through the ranks to Assistant Executive Engineer in 2014, Executive Engineer in 2016, and Additional Chief Engineer in January 2023. In February 2025, he assumed his current role as Chief Engineer, Plan Roads.