Vigilance Raids on Sambalpur Development Authority’s Ex-Planning Member

Bhubaneswar: Teams of officials of the Odisha Vigilance Department raided premises linked to the former planning member of Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA), Bandita Mahapatra on Tuesday to unearth properties disproportionate to her known source of income.

Simultaneous raids were taken up at Mahapatra’s residential apartment at Gadakana in Bhubaneswar, the residential triple-storied building at Soubhagya Nagar in Bhubaneswar, residential house of her relative at Baramunda in Bhubaneswar, her paternal house at Khunta Ranibandh in Mayurbhanj, office chamber at SDA building in Sambalpur and residential government quarters of her in-law at District Headquarters Hospital in Angul.

Vigilance raids were also taken up at places linked to an SDA Junior Clerk (Contractual) Laxmi Narayan Samal for disproportionate assets. Vigilance officials searched Samal’s government quarters at Burla in Sambalpur, the newly constructed triple-storeyed building at Kantapali Mouza in Burla and his office chamber at SDA in Sambalpur.

Six DSPs, nine Inspectors, six ASIs and other staff took part in these simultaneous raids.

Mahapatra and Samal were arrested in September 2023 by Sambalpur Police for forgery and issue of fake approval letters of building plans to applicants. Mahapatra got bail on December 6.