- Odisha forest official Nityananda Nayak had highest number of properties owned by any government officer
- Raids were conducted at seven locations in Angul, Keonjhar, and Nayagarh districts where Nayak owned houses
- Vigilance Department seized cash, rifles, vehicles, teak artefacts, 200 grams gold, and a four-storeyed building
An official in Odisha was found to have 115 land plots in his name, gold weighing 200 grams, a small armoury containing rifles, and other assets worth crores during a raid by the Vigilance Department on Sunday.
Nityananda Nayak, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Kendu Leaf Division in Keonjhar, had the highest number of properties owned by any government officer, found the anti-corruption wing of Odisha government.
The searches were carried out at seven places in Angul, Keonjhar and Nayagarh districts of the state, where Nayak owned houses. Simultaneous raids were conducted at Nayak's lavish residence in Angul's Jagannath Vihar, ancestral property in Similipada, and his in-laws' house in Jagannathpur in Angul district.
Apart from 115 land plots, the Vigilance Department also found cash worth Rs 1.55 lakh, one four-storeyed building in Angul, a small armoury containing rifles and other weapons, two four-wheelers and four two-wheelers, gold weighing 200 grams, and a collection of teak artefacts.
"Seven teams of Odisha Vigilance comprising 3 DSPs, 10 Inspectors, and other supporting staff searched for the strength of search warrants issued by the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Keonjhar," a vigilance official said.
Officials suspect that the teak and timber artefacts along with wood-cutting equipment were likely sourced illegally during Nayak's forest operations.
Nayak joined government service as a Range Officer in 1992 and rose through the ranks to become DFO of the Kendu Leaf Division.
As per the data shared by the Vigilance department, Nayak topped the list of land acquisition with 115 plots, while Pravas Kumar Pradhan, Chief Construction Engineer of Anandpur Barrage Project in Keonjhar, was placed second with 105 plots.
The Vigilance official arrested Pravas Kumar Pradhan on August 3 last for possessing assets more than his income.
The raid is part of a larger investigation into Nayak's alleged accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of income.
(With inputs from Dev Kumar in Bhubaneswar)
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