Bhubaneswar, June 24: The Odisha Vigilance Department has intensified its crackdown on corrupt government officials. On June 23, they conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations linked to Padmalochan Nayak, an executive engineer with 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 in Sambalpur, Cuttack, Balasore, and Malkangiri, based on allegations of holding assets beyond his declared income.”
The locations raided included Nayak’s rented house in Dhanupali, Sambalpur, a three-story residential building in Vidyadharapur, Cuttack, and a property in Mukhalis village, Balasore district.
The raids were conducted by seven teams of the Vigilance Department, led by four Deputy Superintendents of Police. They were supported by 13 inspectors, seven assistant sub-inspectors, and other staff members.
During the searches, officials uncovered assets worth crores of rupees belonging to Nayak and his family. This included three houses, 18 valuable plots of land, approximately 20 lakh rupees in gold jewelry and household items, 3.45 lakh rupees 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.
The official noted, “There are suspicions regarding Nayak’s frequent trips to Sri Lanka and his involvement in gambling activities there, which are currently under investigation.”
According to Vigilance sources, inquiries are underway to trace the origins of the seized assets. Authorities believe that more properties may be uncovered as the search operation continues.
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