Odisha Vigilance searches linked to Tapan Sethi, an Assistant Executive Engineer in the Roads and Buildings Department, have uncovered multiple buildings, plots, a farmhouse, gold jewellery and vehicles across Kataka, Bhubaneswar and Puri, according to a report by Pragativadi.
The searches concern properties associated with Sethi and his family members. The Vigilance Technical Wing is assessing the precise measurements and valuations of the properties, while financial deposits and other investments are still under scrutiny. The operation is ongoing, and a bank locker held by Sethi at the State Bank of India’s Main Branch in Bhubaneswar has not yet been opened.
The properties identified so far include a triple-storey building of approximately 2,000 square feet at Plot No. F/779 in Sector 7, CDA, Kataka; another triple-storey building measuring about 3,600 square feet at Sidha Mahavir in Puri; and a double-storey building of approximately 2,200 square feet at Kantabada in Bhubaneswar. Investigators have also identified a one-acre farmhouse at Kantapada near Kataka and three high-value plots, including two in Bhubaneswar and one in CDA, Kataka.
The searches have also revealed approximately 550 grams of gold jewellery, two four-wheelers — a Grand Vitara and a Hyundai Santro — and two two-wheelers. The report describes the properties and valuables as part of an alleged disproportionate-assets case. The total value of the assets has not yet been established in the supplied report.
Sethi joined the Odisha government as a Junior Engineer (Civil) on August 6, 1997, under the Engineer-in-Chief (Civil), Odisha, with an initial monthly salary of Rs. 5,000, according to the report. His postings included the National Highways Division in Dhenkanal and Angul between 1997 and 2008, the Roads and Buildings Division in Jagatsinghpur from 2008 to 2018, and the Roads and Buildings Division in Kendrapada from 2018 to 2022.
He was later promoted as an Assistant Executive Engineer in R&B Division-III, Bhubaneswar, before moving to the R&B Sub-Division in Badachana in October 2023. He is currently serving in that position, the report said.
The case places scrutiny on the public works administration that plans, supervises and maintains roads and related infrastructure across Odisha. However, the searches and assets identified during them do not by themselves establish criminal liability. The final assessment will depend on the Vigilance inquiry, property valuations, financial records and any explanations sought from the officer.
The Odisha Vigilance searches are continuing. Further details are expected after the technical valuation is completed, financial investments are examined and the Bhubaneswar bank locker is opened.
