In a bizarre and dramatic incident, Bhubaneswar witnessed bundles of ₹500 notes flying out of an apartment window, thrown by a senior government official under investigation. The man behind this chaos has been identified as Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, a Chief Engineer with the Odisha State Rural Development Department. Sarangi is now under the vigilance department’s scanner in connection with a case of alleged corruption and possession of disproportionate assets.
Vigilance officers have so far recovered over ₹2.1 crore in cash through simultaneous raids conducted across seven locations, including Angul, Bhubaneswar, and Pipili (Puri). The locations raided include:
- A double-storeyed house in Karadagadia, Angul
- A flat in Dumduma, Bhubaneswar
- A flat in Puri
- A relative’s house in Sikshyakapada, Angul
- His paternal house and a double-storeyed ancestral property in Angul
- His office chamber
In a shocking turn, Sarangi reportedly attempted to dispose of the cash by throwing it out of his Bhubaneswar flat window as vigilance teams arrived. “The bundles were later recovered in presence of witnesses.”
The biggest cash hauls were ₹1.1 crore from his Angul residence and ₹1 crore from his flat in Bhubaneswar. The operation, carried out by a team of 26 officers — including eight DSPs, 12 inspectors, and six ASIs — is ongoing. Videos from the scene show officers counting massive piles of notes, primarily in ₹500 denominations, with some ₹200, ₹100, and ₹50 notes mixed in.
The raids follow allegations that Sarangi amassed wealth far beyond his known sources of income. The full scale of the assets is still being assessed as counting and investigations continue.
