JE Susanta Sethy Arrested for Massive Disproportionate Assets in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Junior Engineer (JE) Susanta Kumar Sethy has been arrested by Odisha Vigilance following the recovery of massive disproportionate assets (DA) during raids conducted across multiple locations. The arrest was confirmed by Vigilance officials on Saturday.

Sethy, who was posted as a Road & Building Junior Engineer at Khariar in Nuapada district, is now at the center of a major corruption probe. According to the Vigilance Department, searches conducted at eight locations in Bhubaneswar, Pipili, and Nuapada on Friday led to the seizure of assets vastly disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The unearthed assets include three multi-storey buildings, one farmhouse, nine high-value plots, two luxury cars (one of which is a suspected benami vehicle), fixed deposits and cash totaling ₹55 lakh, household items worth over ₹14 lakh, and approximately 1.4 kilograms of gold. The properties and assets were found to be registered in the names of Sethy and his family members.

In a twist to the investigation, Vigilance officials revealed that Sethy had allegedly concealed ₹55 lakh in cash and 1.4 kg of gold at his tenant’s residence in an attempt to evade detection during the raids. However, the tenant reportedly failed to return the valuables, prompting Sethy’s wife to lodge an FIR at Dhauli Police Station on April 13, 2024.

A Vigilance case has been registered against Sethy, and he is scheduled to be produced before the Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar. Officials have stated that further verification is underway regarding the ill-gotten money and gold ornaments allegedly parked at the tenant’s house.

The arrest underscores Vigilance’s continued crackdown on corruption among government officials in Odisha.