Odisha Vigilance: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Nov 20: Odisha Vigilance officials uncovered substantial assets belonging to Civil Supplies Officer (CSO) Suresh Kumar Panigrahi during raids on Wednesday, accusing him of possessing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. The raids, which revealed properties valued at Rs 1.72 crore, also uncovered suspicions of benami investments in a petrol pump, a fly ash factory, and a JCB machine.
The simultaneous searches, conducted by teams led by two Additional SPs, three DSPs, and several inspectors, were carried out at 11 locations in Bhubaneswar, Balangir, Sonepur, and Bargarh based on search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Balangir.
Among the assets discovered were a double-storey building spanning over 2500 sqft at Tulashinagar, Balangir; 19 plots in various towns, including prime areas in Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur; a 4-acre farmhouse with 500 teak trees at Balanda village, Bijepur, Bargarh; and various bank, insurance, postal deposits, and investments amounting to Rs 1.72 crore. Additionally, Panigrahi had Rs 1.49 lakh in cash, a Maruti Swift car, and two two-wheelers.
Vigilance’s Technical Wing is currently assessing the value of the buildings, plots, and the farmhouse, while one locker at the SBI Branch in Balangir remains unopened. Investigations also indicate that Panigrahi may have made investments under the name of his brother, including a petrol pump, a fly ash bricks factory, and a JCB excavator.
