EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, MI DIVISION ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF DISPROPORTIONATE ASSETS & HEADMASTER CONVICTED BY VIGILANCE
Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, October 16: Hailing from Rayagada, Sri Mahesh Prasad Patnaik, Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Division, Balasore, Dist-Balasore was arrested by Odisha Vigilance and forwarded to the Hon’ble Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar for possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs.3,73,10,323/-, which he could not account for satisfactorily. In this connection, Bhubaneswar Vigilance P.S. Case No.34 dated 15.10.2022 has been registered against Sri Mahesh Prasad Patnaik, Executive Engineer and his spouse U/s 13(2) r/w 13(1)(b)/12 PC Act, 1988 as amended by PC (Amendment) Act, 2018.
The searches were at Paternal house of Sri Patnaik located at Kasturi Nagar, 1st lane, Rayagada, Flat No.- 211, Block- B, Hill View Residency located at Chinnagadili, Visakhapatnam, Flat number B-6, 1/ 11, located at Hitech Plaza, Madhipur, Sundarpada, Bhubaneswar, Residential Government Quarter No.- 4 RB-1 located at LIC Colony, Murgabadi Baripada, Office Room located at the office of Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Division, Balasore. The assessment included two flats vide No.503 & 504 (converted into one 4 BHK Flat) at Atala, Balianta, Bhubaneswar worth Rs.61.5 Lakh, one flat vide No.211, Block-V at Hill View Residency, Chinagadili, Vishakhapatnam worth over Rs.17.56 Lakhs, one flat vide No.B6-1/11, Hi-Tech Plaza, Sundarpada, Bhubaneswar worth Rs 13.23 Lakhs, one building at Rayagada, Six plots including three in prime area of Bhubaneswar and Koraput, bank and insurance deposits over Rs 1.19 crore, Rs 2.4 lakh in cash, four two-wheelers.On the allegation of possession of assets disproportionate to the known sources of income by Sri Mahesh Prasad Patnaik, Executive Engineer, simultaneous house searches were conducted at 7 places in Khurdha, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Rayagada districts & at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh by 7 teams of Odisha Vigilance led by 3 DSPs, 12 Inspectors, 2 Sub-Inspectors, 5 ASIs and other staff on the strength of Search Warrants issued by the Hon’ble Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar, 825 gms of gold & 6 kg of silver worth over Rs. 22 lakhs, household articles worth over Rs.12.15 Lakhs.
After thorough search, inventory and further inquiry, the income, expenditure and assets of Sri Mahesh Prasad Patnaik, Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Division, Balasore, Dist-Balasore were calculated and he was found in possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs.3,73,10,323/- (Rupees Three Crore Seventy-three Lakh Ten Thousand Three Hundred Twenty-three), which is 233% of his known sources of income. Investigation of the case is in progress.
In another vigilance trap case, Ex-i/c head master, project up school, Burtinguda got convicted. Sri Trinath Bauri, Ex-in-charge Head Master, Project UP School, Burtinguda, PS-Putasingh, Dist-Rayagada, A/p-Head Master, Govt. High School, Gunthuli, Bikrampur, PS-Gunpur, who was charge sheeted by Odisha Vigilance in Koraput Vigilance P.S. Case No.40 dated 06.08.2015 U/s 7/13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for demand and acceptance of illegal gratification (bribe) from the complainant for facilitating admission of his son to stay in hostel, was convicted by the Hon’ble Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 2 years and to pay fine of Rs.5,000/- (Rupees Five Thousand) on each count, and in default of payment of fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for a period of 3 months on each count for the offence U/s 7 PC Act, 1988 & U/s 13 (2) r/w 13(1)(d) Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Both the sentences are to run concurrently. Odisha Vigilance will now move the competent authority for dismissal of Sri Bauri from service following his conviction. Sri Subas Chandra Bisoyi, Ex-Inspector, Vigilance Koraput Division had investigated the case.
