Odisha sleuths unearthed a divisional forest officer (DFO) and his family in possession of 115 plots of landed properties of such staggering proportions during raids conducted on Sunday.
The officer, Nityananda Nayak, currently posted as DFO, Kendu Leaf Division, Keonjhar, has been detained following a probe into a case of disproportionate assets. During raids carried out across seven locations, including Keonjhar, Angul, and Nayagarh, Vigilance officials also uncovered a cache of arms, including country-made guns and swords. In addition, gold ornaments and cash amounting to ₹1.55 lakh were recovered in the searches that began early Sunday morning.
A media release issued by Odisha Vigilance stated that documents seized in the raids revealed that 53 plots were registered in Nayak’s name, 42 in his wife’s name, 16 in the names of his two sons, and four in his daughter’s name. Vigilance officials noted that never before in the state had such a massive number of plots been discovered in a single raid involving a government official and his immediate family — the previous record stood at 105 plots.
According to officials, Nayak had purchased these plots over a 32-year span — from 1992, the year he joined government service as a Range Officer, to 2024. Over the years, he held several positions in the forest department, including forest range officer, assistant conservator of forests, deputy conservator of forests and divisional forest officer.
In addition to the vast land holdings, Nayak is also reported to own a four-storey building measuring around 9,000 square feet, located in Turanga, Angul district.