Executive officer of Jatni municipality detained after illegal assets found | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Executive officer (EO) of Jatni Municipality in Khurda district, Surjyamani Pattajoshi (53), was on Tuesday detained after vigilance sleuths found disproportionate assets belonging to him.
The total value of his properties, discovered during simultaneous searches in Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Berhampur and Ganjam, is still being evaluated. Vigilance officers estimated the total worth could surpass Rs 6 crore.
“We detected four flats, two multi-storey buildings, 11 high-value plots, about 150 grams of gold ornaments, Rs 17 lakh in cash and bank deposits worth over Rs 75.15 lakh so far in the names of Pattajoshi and his kin. Further searches are continuing. Detection of more assets is likely and overall valuation may increase,” a senior vigilance officer said.
Investigation revealed his ownership of a luxury flat in Jagamara area and another in Unit-III, Kharavela Nagar of Bhubaneswar. He reportedly made an advance payment of Rs 56.40 lakh towards a 4.5-BHK flat valued at Rs 2.5 crore, registered under his wife’s name in the upscale Delta Square area here.
“Another flat found in BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar, is suspected to be his benami property. One four-storey building (under construction) over 5,500 sqft at Ankuli in Berhampur has been traced,” the vigilance officer said, adding that the 11 costly plots are located in Jatni, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur and other parts of Ganjam district.
“Pattajoshi is being questioned to ascertain the source of the assets. He joined govt service on March 22, 1994, as a junior engineer in Nabarangpur Municipality. From April 2, 1996 to Aug 4, 2006, he worked as JE in different notified area councils (NACs) in the state. He was promoted to the rank of assistant engineer on Jan 10, 2007. He was posted at Jatni Municipality on Feb 1, 2024,” the officer said.
The total value of his properties, discovered during simultaneous searches in Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Berhampur and Ganjam, is still being evaluated. Vigilance officers estimated the total worth could surpass Rs 6 crore.
“We detected four flats, two multi-storey buildings, 11 high-value plots, about 150 grams of gold ornaments, Rs 17 lakh in cash and bank deposits worth over Rs 75.15 lakh so far in the names of Pattajoshi and his kin. Further searches are continuing. Detection of more assets is likely and overall valuation may increase,” a senior vigilance officer said.
Investigation revealed his ownership of a luxury flat in Jagamara area and another in Unit-III, Kharavela Nagar of Bhubaneswar. He reportedly made an advance payment of Rs 56.40 lakh towards a 4.5-BHK flat valued at Rs 2.5 crore, registered under his wife’s name in the upscale Delta Square area here.
“Another flat found in BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar, is suspected to be his benami property. One four-storey building (under construction) over 5,500 sqft at Ankuli in Berhampur has been traced,” the vigilance officer said, adding that the 11 costly plots are located in Jatni, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur and other parts of Ganjam district.
“Pattajoshi is being questioned to ascertain the source of the assets. He joined govt service on March 22, 1994, as a junior engineer in Nabarangpur Municipality. From April 2, 1996 to Aug 4, 2006, he worked as JE in different notified area councils (NACs) in the state. He was promoted to the rank of assistant engineer on Jan 10, 2007. He was posted at Jatni Municipality on Feb 1, 2024,” the officer said.
