New Delhi: Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, Chief Engineer of Odisha’s Rural development Department, attempted to dispose off illicit cash by hurdling bundles of Rs 500 notes from his apartment during a vigilance raid. The Odisha Vigilance Department conducted simultaneous searches at seven locations related to Sarangi.
This incident has unfolded in Bhubaneshwar, where Sarangi, in a bid to evade the collection of evidence, resorted to throwing currency bundles out of his residence.
The State Vigilance Department has recovered around Rs 2.1 crore cash during the raids conducted at various key locations across Odisha including Angul, Bhubeneshwar, and Pipilli in Puri.
Odisha Vigilance Raids on Chief Engineer Baikuntha Nath Sarangi working in RW Dept over disproportionate assets
Vigilance recovered approximately Rs. 2.1 crore cash
Sarangi threw several bundles of Rs. 500 notes from his Bhubaneswar flat window upon seeing vigilance officers pic.twitter.com/CO3dnWWv8K— S U F F I A N (@iamsuffian) May 30, 2025
Rs 1.1 crore was found at Mr. Sarangi’s residence at Angul and Rs 1 crore from the Bhubaneshwar apartment, as stated in a report by NDTV.
The search was conducted based on the allegation that Sarangi possessed assets disproportionate to his know sources of income. A team of 26 police officers including eight Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSPs), 12 inspectors and six assistant sub-inspector (ASIs), along with other supporting staff, supported the investigation.
This case is a part of a broader crackdown by Odisha’s anti-corruption authorities. In a separate incident, Nihar Ranjan Das, Additional Chief Engineer of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department is found to have amassed assets worth Rs 8 crore, including Rs 1.75 crore invested in cryptocurrencies. Das, reportedly attempted to throw away documents pertaining to his crypto investments by throwing them out of a window during a raid.
These incidents serve as a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of corruption that is surfacing in the recent times.
In videos of search operations, officers can be seen counting piles of cash. Bundles of cash, majorly Rs 500 notes were recovered, including bundles of Rs 200, Rs 100 and Rs 50.
