&w=3840&q=100)
Raining cash: Engineer throws bundles from window during raid, ₹2 cr seized
VIDEO | Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance conducts raid on the properties of Chief Engineer Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, recovers Rs 2.1 crore cash. (Source: Third Party) #Odisha pic.twitter.com/1fPi5keOFP
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 30, 2025
The anti-corruption wing of the Odisha Police on Friday carried out the raids at multiple locations linked to Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, chief engineer (plan roads), RW Division, Bhubaneswar, over allegations of amassing assets disproportionate to his income, according to the report.
Simultaneous searches took place at Sarangi's office, his two-storey house in Karadagadia (Angul), and flats in Bhubaneswar and Siula in Puri district. Vigilance officials also searched his ancestral home and properties belonging to his relatives in Angul.
In a separate case of financial misconduct in Odisha, Chintan Raghuvanshi, a deputy director of the ED, was caught red-handed accepting ₹20 lakh from Ratikanta Rout, a Bhubaneswar-based stone-mining businessman. Officials said the amount was part of a larger ₹2 crore bribe allegedly demanded in exchange for relief in an ongoing case against Rout. Some reports indicate the total bribe demand may have gone as high as ₹5 crore, with initial instalments pegged between ₹20 lakh and ₹50 lakh.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Objectionable' Ganesh idols lead to case against 3 artisans in Indore after Bajrang Dal worker's complaint
Three artisans were booked in Indore for allegedly creating 'objectionable' Ganesh idols for upcoming festivities, police said on Monday. The three idol makers, Chandranath Pal, Ratanlal Pal and Raju Pal, who were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 299 (deliberate act intended to outrage religious feelings), following a complaint lodged by a Bajrang Dal worker at Khajrana police station, police said. The three make idols on demand at a facility near Bengali Square. The Bajrang Dal worker's complaint claimed that objectionable idols of Lord Ganesh were being made in the Khajrana area on the demand of some customers. 'We immediately registered an FIR against the three sculptors. Preventive action is also underway,' Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Amrendra Singh said. The administration will hold a meeting with all idol makers in the city to ensure such incidents are not repeated, the officer said. Some videos being shared on social media purportedly showed the accused having their faces blackened by some people outside a police station. Bajrang Dal district convener Lucky Raghuvanshi said, 'Members of the Hindu community blackened their faces to protest against the creation of such idols. One idol showed Lord Ganesh walking the ramp, while another showed him lifting a woman in his arms.' Police said the accused hail from West Bengal and are traditional idol makers. Sculptor Atul Pal, who has worked with the accused idol makers, said the idols were ordered by customers from the adjoining Dewas district after having got the idea from images on social media. Following objections from Bajrang Dal workers, the customers cancelled their orders, Pal said. (With PTI inputs)
India.com
16 minutes ago
- India.com
Congress Calls Chhattisgarh-wide ‘Chakka Jam' Over ED Arrest Of Ex-CM Baghel's Son
The protest, scheduled from 12 noon to 2 pm, will see road blockades across district headquarters, with major highways and commercial intersections targeted for disruption. Senior Congress leaders, including Deepak Baij, Charandas Mahant, TS Singhdeo, and Bhupesh Baghel himself, are expected to lead the agitation. In Raipur, the National Highway near VIP Chowk and Magneto Mall will be blocked, while Dharsiwa will witness a large-scale mobilisation by rural Congress workers. The party has framed the protest as a response to what it calls politically motivated misuse of central agencies to intimidate opposition voices. The ED arrested Chaitanya Baghel on July 18 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, citing his alleged involvement in a liquor scam that reportedly operated between 2019 and 2022. According to the agency, the scam caused a loss of over Rs 2500 crore to the state exchequer. Investigators claim Baghel received Rs 16.70 crore in proceeds of crime, which were funnelled through his real estate ventures. The ED also alleges that Baghel colluded with businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon to disguise illicit funds as legitimate property transactions, including Rs 5 crore routed through flat purchases in the Vitthalpuram Project. Further, the ED has traced over Rs 1000 crore in suspect transactions linked to Baghel and his associates, including coordination with liquor syndicate figures and alleged transfers to the then treasurer of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee. The agency has already arrested several individuals in connection with the case, including former IAS officer Anil Tuteja and former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma. Congress leaders have dismissed the charges as part of a broader campaign to dismantle the party's leadership in the state and divert attention from resource exploitation issues. Bhupesh Baghel has publicly accused the BJP-led central government of orchestrating the arrest to suppress dissent over environmental concerns. As the ED continues its investigation, the Congress's chakka jam is expected to test both public sentiment and political fault lines in a state already simmering with tension.
NDTV
25 minutes ago
- NDTV
Accused In Rs 12.63 Crore Bank Fraud Case Arrested From Bengaluru By CBI After 7 Years
In a significant breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested proclaimed offender Nasreen Taj who had been on the run for nearly seven years in connection with a high-value bank fraud case involving over Rs 12.63 crore. The arrest comes after sustained efforts by the CBI team, who combined advanced technological tools with traditional investigation techniques to locate the accused. The case was originally registered on April 15, 2009, against nine accused, including Asadullah Khan, the then Branch Manager of Syndicate Bank, Mandya Branch, and his wife Nasreen Taj. The accused had allegedly conspired to cheat the Syndicate Bank through fraudulent loans and misuse of funds. Nasreen Taj was arrested from Bengaluru on July 19, 2025, where she had been living under a fake identity as "Ms. Salma." Nasreen Taj, who had no independent income, availed loans including a Temporary Overdraft of Rs 120 lakhs and farm loans worth Rs 55 lakhs. Instead of using the funds for agriculture, she allegedly diverted them to repay the overdraft, violating loan conditions. The CBI filed a charge sheet on October 12, 2010, naming her as one of the key conspirators. However, Taj failed to appear for trial since 2019, following which multiple non-bailable warrants were issued. On November 27, 2021 a Special Court in Bengaluru declared her a proclaimed offender and ordered the attachment of her properties. To evade arrest, she severed ties with family, changed her name, and constantly shifted locations. The CBI, using digital footprint analysis, advanced surveillance tools, and ground-level investigations, successfully tracked her down. She was produced before the Competent Court in Bengaluru and remanded to judicial custody. The trial against her will now proceed, after being stalled for years. This case stands as a testament to how modern technology, combined with investigative perseverance, can help law enforcement agencies bring long-absconding offenders to justice.
