Raid on addl tehsildar uncovers Rs 75L cash

Bhubaneswar: TheOdisha Vigilance department has detected several assets, including Rs 75 lakh cash, three buildings, a flat, and four high-value plots from the possession of Additional Tehsildar Jitendra Kumar Panda. Acting on the allegation of possession of disproportionate assets (DA) to the known sources of income, Vigilance officers launched raids on the properties of the Additional Tehsildar, Barang, in Cuttack district on Tuesday.

So far, two triple-storeyed buildings and a flat in Bhubaneswar, one double-storeyed building in Khurda, Rs 75 lakh cash, 100 gram gold, and a car were found during the raids, a Vigilance officer said. The Rs 75 lakh cash was found in a locked house of his mother-in-law.

The Revenue Officer joined government service in 1995 as a laboratory assistant in the office of Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Cuttack, on a rehabilitation scheme with a monthly initial salary of Rs 2,000. On July 15, 1997, Panda was transferred to Odisha Biological Products Institute, Bhubaneswar, where he joined as senior laboratory assistant. He was promoted to the rank of Odisha Revenue Service and joined as Training Revenue Officer under District Sub-Registrar, Bhubaneswar, on May 16, 2020. From February 26, 2021 to March 11, 2023, he worked as Additional Tehsildar in Pipili and as a Sub-Registrar from March 11, 2023 to July 1, 2023. He was posted as Additional Tehsildar at Baranga on July 1. 2023.

The Vigilance investigation is ongoing, with scrutiny of bank deposits, investments, and a bank locker yet to be accessed.

Similarly, the anti-corruption officers conducted raids on the properties linked to panchayat extension officer (PEO) Jitendra Kumar Jena at six places in Keonjhar district. The search operations have revealed various properties, including a triple-storey residential building, a double-storey market complex, an electronics shop, six plots of land, and two rented godowns. Raids were also conducted at his ancestral house and office.

Jena began his government service in 1995 with a starting salary of around Rs 2,000 per month. These actions were carried out under search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Keonjhar.