The Odisha Vigilance Department has launched a significant investigation into an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Baikuntha Nath Behera, following raids that allegedly unearthed assets worth crores of rupees. Behera, who serves with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Baliguda, Kandhamal district, is now under scrutiny in a disproportionate assets case.
Vigilance Uncovers Vast Wealth
During simultaneous searches conducted on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at multiple locations linked to Behera and his family, officials reported substantial findings. The assets discovered include:
- Over ₹2 crore in cash, seized primarily from two bank lockers.
- Five multi-storey buildings, with four located in Bhubaneswar.
- Fourteen high-value plots, seven of which are in Bhubaneswar.
- 341 grams of gold jewellery.
- Bank deposits and postal savings exceeding ₹45 lakh.
The raids were carried out across Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, Baripada, Dharmasala (Jajpur district), and Baliguda (Kandhamal district). Vigilance officials confirmed that the measurement and valuation of the buildings and plots are ongoing, handled by the department's technical wing. Similarly, the valuation of gold ornaments and other financial investments is still being processed.
Behera's Career Trajectory
Baikuntha Nath Behera began his government service in 1999 as a junior engineer (civil) at Nabarangpur block, with an initial monthly salary of ₹6,000. Over the years, he served in various capacities under the ITDA and other government establishments. He was promoted to assistant engineer in October 2016 and further elevated to assistant executive engineer in February 2026, subsequently posted at ITDA, Baliguda.
The search operations were executed by dedicated teams comprising two additional superintendents of police, five deputy superintendents of police, six inspectors, and supporting staff, acting under warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.