In a major crackdown on corruption, Odisha Vigilance on Saturday conducted simultaneous raids at four locations linked to Rajendra Kumar Samantray, the Forest Range Officer of Rahama in Jagatsinghpur district.
The searches were conducted by a high-level team including two Additional SPs and five DSPs, five Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), eight inspectors, and other supporting officers and staff.
The raids were heled following allegations that Samantray had amassed wealth vastly disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Further details regarding the raids and the nature of the investigation are awaited.
Today, on the allegation of possession of disproportionate assets (DA) by Sri Rajendra Kumar Samantray, Forest Range Officer, Rahama Forest Range, #Jagatsinghpur, simultaneous house searches are being conducted by #Odisha #Vigilance at 4 places in Jagatsinghpur district.
— Odisha Vigilance (@OdishaVigilance) December 20, 2025
During searches so far, the following assets have been unearthed from the possession of Samantray and his family members:
One palatial triple storeyed building with area approximately 5500 sqft located at Chatara in Jagatsinghpur, one double storeyed building with area 2500 sqft at native village Samantarayapur under Dondo in Jagatsinghpur, three valuable plots, including two plots in Jagatsinghpur town and 1 on the outskirts of Cuttack town.
The measurement and valuation/assessment of the buildings/plots are being carried out by Vigilance Technical Wing.
The Vigilance sleuths also recovered cash worth Rs 3.5 lakh, bank and postal deposits worth Rs 67 lakh and other investments are being ascertained.
Gold jewellery approximately 200 gms and one four-wheeler and two two-wheelers have also been recovered.
Samantaray entered into government service as forester in 1985 with a salary Rs 1500 per month. Then, on promotion in 2021 as Deputy Ranger, he joined under Forest Division (Territorial) Angul.
Again in 2023, Samantaray was promoted to the rank of Ranger, and he joined in Rahama Forest Range in Jagatsinghpur. He has served about four decades in Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts.
Earlier, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Bhubaneswar Zonal Unit on November 22 successfully secured the conviction of three accused involved in drug trafficking.
The sentence was awarded by the Court of the 3rd Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
This case dates back to August 13, 2021, when officers of the Narcotics Control Bureau apprehended three accused persons with 20 kilograms of opium. Further investigation revealed that the accused were linked to an inter-state trafficking racket, in which opium was being transported by concealing it in a specially designed cavity inside the driver’s cabin of a truck.
A chargesheet was filed against all three accused in February 2022. The truck used for transporting the illegal opium was also seized. The three accused — Vijay Bhan, Suraj Pal, and Surendra — were sentenced on November 20 under sections 18(b), 25, 28, and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985 (as amended). Each was sentenced to 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and fined Rs 1 lakh.
