BMC Engineer Held for Disproportionate Assets, Wildlife Offence

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Executive Engineer Jagannath Pattnaik for possessing disproportionate assets (DA) beyond his known sources of income.

The arrest followed a series of raids conducted at Pattnaik’s properties, during which the Vigilance team unearthed significant unaccounted assets. These include three multi-storeyed buildings (one in Bhubaneswar and two in Gunpur), a farmhouse, three high-value plots in Bhubaneswar, 460 grams of gold, over ₹80 lakh in bank deposits, a Grand Vitara car, a country-made gun, and a pair of antler horns.

Pattnaik was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the possession of the seized assets. He has been forwarded to the Court of the Special Judge (Vigilance), Bhubaneswar.

Additionally, a wildlife offence case has been registered against him under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 for the illegal possession of antler horns. The case, numbered OR 3 of 2025-26, has been lodged in the Balipatna Forest Range under Khordha Wildlife Division, citing violations under Sections 9, 49, and 51 of the Act.

Further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the assets and any additional legal violations.