A major corruption case has come to light in Odisha as vigilance officers arrested Pabitra Mohan Panigrahi, an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) posted at Chitrakonda Block in Malkangiri district. He was caught red-handed with a large sum of cash suspected to be illegally acquired.
Caught During Interception
On Friday, vigilance teams intercepted Panigrahi and found ₹5.07 lakh in cash in his possession. Acting swiftly, they launched simultaneous raids at locations connected to him on Saturday — particularly his residence and other properties.
What Did the Vigilance Team Find?
The searches revealed a treasure trove of high-value assets that raised serious questions about the disproportionate wealth of a government officer:
- A 3 BHK Flat (Approx. 1500 sq ft) in a posh Bhubaneswar locality — Nandadevi Apartment, Damana Square, Chandrasekharpur.
- 4 High-Value Land Plots:
- 2 in Bhubaneswar
- 1 in Bargarh town
- 1 in Aska, Ganjam district
- ₹13.04 lakh in cash was found at his Bhubaneswar house.
- Adding the ₹5.07 lakh from his personal interception, the total seized cash stands at ₹18.11 lakh.
- Gold jewellery weighing 270 grams was also recovered.
- Investments in various insurance policies worth over ₹72.2 lakh.
- A Tata Nexon car.
- Other bank deposits and financial assets are still being verified.
His Government Career at a Glance
Panigrahi joined the government as a Junior Engineer-cum-Estimator in 1996. After years of service, he was promoted to Assistant Executive Engineer and was posted in Chitrakonda in January 2023. He received another promotion in March 2024.
Despite his modest government salary, the wealth discovered is far beyond what could be reasonably explained, leading to suspicions of misuse of power or bribe-taking.
Legal Action & Ongoing Probe
A case has been filed under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 — a law aimed at tackling corruption among public servants. Panigrahi will be produced before the Special Vigilance Court in Jeypore.
The vigilance department is still investigating to uncover the full extent of his assets and whether others were involved.
