Junior engineer tries to flee during vigilance raid

Bhubaneswar: In a dramatic incident, a Junior Engineer of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWS&S) department allegedly escaped after he saw Vigilance officials arriving at his residence early on Thursday amid charges of accumulation of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

“When the team knocked on the door of his residence at Jagamara in Bhubaneswar, Sunil Kumar Padhy, the Junior Engineer, apprehending trouble, went to the terrace of his building and jumped onto the adjacent building and escaped,” said Vigilance sources. He was subsequently nabbed from a neighbour’s house.

Padhy, however, denied the allegations that he fled away from his house. Speaking to mediapersons, Padhy said, “I did not flee and am fully ready to cooperate with the Vigilance officials.”

Teams of Vigilance, headed by six Deputy Superintendents of Police, three Inspectors, seven Assistant Sub Inspectors and other staff carried out raids at five places related to Padhy in Bhubaneswar and Ganjam district on Thursday.

The places raided include a triple-storeyed building at Jagamara and his office chamber in Bhubaneswar, market complex, paternal house at Aska and relatives’ house in Bhanjanagar of Ganjam district. The assets unearthed so far include one four-wheeler and four two-wheelers, 17 bank accounts which are under scrutiny and insurance, postal and other deposits which are under verification.

The Vigilance officials had also conducted raids on the properties of retired ranger Jagabandhu Padhi, who is father of JE Sunil Padhi, on the charges of accumulation of disproportionate assets to his known sources of income. Jagabandhu had retired from service 10 years back.