The sleuths of Odisha Vigilance Department, on Sunday, conducted simultaneous raids in multiple properties linked to a senior official of the state’s Forest Department over allegations of amassing assets beyond his known sources of income.
The accused has been identified as Nityananda Nayak. He is currently posted as Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kendu Leaf Division, Keonjhar district.
The officers of the Odisha Vigilance conducted searches at seven places in Angul, Keonjhar and Nayagarh districts of the state. The places where raids were conducted include his official quarters in Keonjhar, his son’s office and residence in Nayagarh district, his paternal house at Madanmohan Patna, in the Bantala area and the house of the in-laws at Jagannathpur in Angul district.
“Seven teams of Odisha Vigilance comprising 3 DSPs, 10 Inspectors, and other supporting staff searched for the strength of Search Warrants issued by the Hon’ble Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Keonjhar,” said the Odisha Vigilance in a press release.
The anti-corruption sleuths further stated that assets worth crores of rupees have been unearthed during the simultaneous house searches at multiple locations linked to Nayak on Sunday.
Vigilance officials in were reportedly taken aback when they discovered that Nayak and his family collectively owned an astonishing 115 land plots within the single Chhendipada block of Angul district.
The details of the land ownership reveal a significant concentration: Nayak himself owns 53 plots, his wife possesses 42 plots, while their two sons have 16 plots registered in their names, and their daughter owns 4.
“Nayak has purchased all the above plots in Chhendipada, Angul during the period from 1992 (since his entering into govt. service as Range Officer) to 2024, while serving in different capacities such as Forest Range Officer, Asst. Conservator Forests Dy. Conservator of Forests and Divisional Forest Officer,” noted the Odisha Vigilance Department.
Although the registered sale deed (RSD) value of these 115 plots is recorded at Rs. 2.5 crore, the Vigilance Department suspects the actual market value to be considerably higher, indicating potential undervaluation during the registration process. A detailed investigation has been initiated to probe this matter.
In addition to the extensive landholdings, Nayak was found to possess a four-story building in Angul, Rs 1.55 lakh in cash, approximately 200 grams of gold ornaments, elaborate teak wood artifacts, and a small collection of weaponry including rifles, bows, and arrows.
