Bhubaneswar: Senior OAS officer Prasanna Samantaray who was arrested by vigilance today, has possessed disproportionate assets (DA) amounting to 80% beyond his known sources of income.
The case stems from Cuttack Vigilance against Kantapada Tahsildar Samantaray and his spouse under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(b)/3(5) of the BNS. Investigations revealed that the Tahasildar, an OAS officer, had accumulated vast immovable and movable properties that he could not satisfactorily explain.
During extensive house searches conducted on March 11 at seven locations across Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Kendrapara, Vigilance teams unearthed high-value assets worth several crores in the name of Samantaray and his family members.
Key seizures and discoveries include: A triple-storeyed building spanning approximately 4,200 sq ft in Mauza-Kesara, PS-Saheed Nagar, Bhubaneswar, another triple-storeyed building (under construction) covering about 6,750 sq ft at Keshura, Bhubaneswar, seven high-value plots in prime locations across Bhubaneswar city, cash amounting to Rs 2,17,810, one four-wheeler (Maruti Brezza) and three two-wheelers and household articles valued at around Rs 11 lakhs.
Detailed inventory, income-expenditure analysis, and further enquiries confirmed the assets exceeded his legitimate earnings by 80%. The disproportionate wealth highlights a pattern of unexplained accumulation during his service. The raids involved a large Vigilance team, including Additional SPs, DSPs, Inspectors, and support staff, executed on court warrants from the Special Vigilance Court, Cuttack.
