Bhubaneswar, Dec 30: In a major action against alleged corruption, Odisha Vigilance officials have unearthed nearly Rs 75 lakh in cash and several multi-crore properties linked to Jitendra Kumar Panda, Additional Tahasildar of Barang in Cuttack district. The seizure was made during simultaneous raids conducted at multiple locations connected to the officer.

According to Vigilance sources, the cash was recovered from a locked house belonging to Panda’s mother-in-law at LB 187, Brit Colony in Badagada, Bhubaneswar, where the Additional Tahasildar also resides. The recovery raised serious questions about the source of the unaccounted money.

During the searches, Vigilance officials detected extensive immovable and movable assets, including two triple-storeyed buildings in Bhubaneswar, a double-storeyed building in Khordha town, a two-BHK flat at Uttara in Bhubaneswar and four high-value plots located in Bhubaneswar and Khordha. Besides, around 100 grams of gold jewellery, a four-wheeler (Kia Seltos) and four two-wheelers were also seized.

A Vigilance release stated that one locker at a State Bank of India branch in Bhubaneswar is yet to be opened. Details of bank deposits, postal savings and other investments are also being verified. Panda, who joined government service in 1995 as a Senior Laboratory Assistant, is under investigation for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The Vigilance Technical Wing is currently assessing the total value of the seized assets.

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