Odisha: Additional tahasildar arrested in disproportionate assets case

Bhubaneswar: A day after carrying out multiple raids, Odisha Vigilance today arrested Additional Tahasildar of Barang Jitendra Kumar Panda on charges of possesssing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income

He will be forwarded to the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar later in the day. According to Vigilance sources, searches were conducted at multiple properties linked to the officer, during which he was found to be in possession of assets far beyond his known sources of income. The assets allegedly unearthed include two multi-storey buildings in Bhubaneswar, a 2-BHK flat at Uttara in the state capital, and another multi-storeyed building in Khordha town.

In addition, the anti-corruption bureau officials reportedly recovered four high-value plots, around 560 grams of gold, bank deposits amounting to ₹36.97 lakh, and cash worth ₹73.66 lakh. The money was found stashed in a locked house belonging to Panda’s mother-in-law at Brit Colony in the Badagada area of Bhubaneswar. The mother-in-law is bedridden and currently resides with the Additional Tahasildar

A four-wheeler was also found during the searches. The accused officer could not satisfactorily explain the sources of these assets, Vigilance officials said. 

Tainted official had entered service in 1995 

Panda entered government service on November 10, 1995, as a Senior Laboratory Assistant in the office of the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Cuttack. He was appointed under the rehabilitation scheme with an initial monthly salary of Rs 2,000.

Following the raids, a case has been registered against Panda at the Vigilance Cell Police Station under Case No. 12/2025.

Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.

Also read: Odisha Vigilance arrests PEO who was found in possession of assets worth crores of rupees