Odisha Vigilance Unearths 606g Gold from Bank Locker in Mahanadi SE Graft Probe
Bhubaneswar: In a significant development in the ongoing disproportionate assets investigation against a senior engineer of the Water Resources Department, Odisha Vigilance officials recovered more than 606 grams of gold jewellery from a bank locker linked to Prasanjit Das, Superintending Engineer (SE) of the Mahanadi Northern Division, Jagatpur, during his three-day police remand.
The recovery was made after the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar granted police remand to facilitate further investigation into alleged assets disproportionate to known sources of income.
During the remand period, Vigilance officers escorted Das to an Axis Bank branch in Bhubaneswar, where a locker operated by him was opened and inventoried. Over 606 grams of gold jewellery were subsequently seized from the locker.
The case stems from a Vigilance investigation launched after officials intercepted Das on October 17 while he was allegedly transporting cash amounting to Rs 7.28 lakh.
Subsequent searches at locations linked to the engineer reportedly led to the recovery of an additional Rs 14.60 lakh in cash, taking the total cash seizure to over Rs 21.88 lakh.
Following his arrest, Das was produced before the Special Vigilance Court and later remanded for further questioning to trace additional assets and establish their sources.
The latest seizure of gold jewellery is expected to strengthen the investigation into the alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets.
With the remand period concluded, the accused was scheduled to be produced before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.
Vigilance officials stated that financial verification and further examination of the assets are continuing as part of the ongoing probe.
