Odisha Vigilance has arrested Works Department executive engineer Arabinda Mohanty in a disproportionate-assets case after investigators allegedly recovered land records linked to 20 plots from a contractor’s property in Balasore. Mohanty, 60, was posted in Mayurbhanj district and is due to retire in two months.
According to vigilance officials, the documents were buried at the Balasore home of a contractor considered close to Mohanty. Investigators raided the property on Monday evening and said Mohanty allegedly admitted to concealing the records underground. The documents reportedly relate to plots held in the names of Mohanty and his family members.
Officials also claimed that investigators identified a benami bank locker opened in the contractor’s name but allegedly operated for Mohanty’s benefit. The locker contained Rs 2.77 lakh in cash and gold ornaments purportedly belonging to the engineer, they said. Vigilance is examining the contractor’s alleged role and could initiate legal action against him.
Searches at several properties linked to Mohanty have so far led to the detection of two multi-storeyed buildings, a five-acre farmhouse, 23 high-value plots, about 30 gm of gold and bank deposits worth Rs 69.69 lakh, according to the officials. The searches also resulted in the seizure of cash amounting to Rs 10.57 lakh.
About Rs 8 lakh in cash was seized from properties linked to Mohanty on Monday, while another Rs 2.5 lakh was recovered from his residence at Balianta, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, on Tuesday. The authorities have not yet stated the final valuation of the properties or the exact amount by which the assets allegedly exceed his known sources of income.
“We have arrested Mohanty under provisions relating to possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of income. The valuation of the assets and the extent of disproportion are currently being assessed,” a vigilance official said. The investigation is continuing, including an examination of the recovered documents, the alleged benami locker and the contractor’s role in the case.
