The officials of Vigilance department, on Friday, July 25, found a “secret treasury” at the residence of a deputy forest ranger in Odisha’s Koraput district, containing Rs 1.43 crore in cash, 1.5 kg of gold, and over 4.6 kg of silver, an official statement said.
In addition to these discoveries, the anti-corruption sleuths also uncovered “a multi-story building, three flats, two high-value plots, bank deposits totalling Rs 1.33 crore, two cars, and other household items valued at over Rs 15 lakh”during the search, informed Korapur Vigilance SP Rabinda Kumar Panda.
The Vigilance team launched simultaneous search operation at six locations linked to Rama Chandra Nepak, the current deputy ranger and in-charge ranger of Jeypore Forest Range. This action followed allegations that he possessed assets disproportionate to his known income sources.
The Vigilance team, comprising 6 DSPs, 5 Inspectors, 9 ASIs, and other supporting staff, conducted raids on the strength of search warrants issued by special judge, vigilance, Jeypore, the department said in a statement.
The department said the officer draws a gross monthly salary of Rs 76,880 (net Rs 69,680).
Nepak started his career on March 9, 1989, as a village forest worker in the social forestry division in Koraput. After social forestry merged with the territorial forest division, he was transferred to Jeypore (Territorial) Forest Division.
“In the ongoing DA searches against Nepak, Rs 1.4 crore (approx) concealed in a secret treasury in his Flat No 510, Golden Height Residential Apartment, Jeypore Town, has been unearthed. Counting machines have been deployed and counting is being taken up,” the vigilance said.
The statement further revealed the unearthing of 1.5 kg of gold, 4.63 kg of silver, four gold biscuits, 16 gold coins, and two high-value plots in Jeypore town.
Nepak, however, claimed that the properties found at his places “also belong to his son and wife, who are doing business.”
Regarding the gold and silver, he stated that they were gifts received during his and his son’s marriages, asserting there was “nothing illegal in it.”
The department said that the raids are ongoing, and further verification of documents, assets, and financial records is underway.
Officials reported that Nepak’s case marks the fifth-highest cash seizure during vigilance raids. Previously, Odisha Vigilance seized the highest amount of Rs 3.41 crore from the home of Kartikeswar Raul, a former assistant engineer in the minor irrigation division, Ganjam district, on April 7, 2022. This was followed by Rs 3.12 crore from Prasanta Kumar Rout, a former additional sub-collector in Nabarangpur, on June 22, 2023.
The third-highest seizure, Rs 2.1 crore, occurred on May 30, 2025, from Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, chief engineer (rural works), Bhubaneswar.
