Vigilance sleuths in Odisha on Friday recovered over ₹2.52 crore in cash and valuable assets from the possession of a government engineer, which are suspected to be disproportionate to his income.

Based on the search warrants issued by special judge, vigilance, Angul, the sleuths conducted a raid on the house of the chief engineer just a day ahead of his retirement.

Besides the cash, the other disproportionate assets include two multi-storey buildings, two flats and seven high-value plots located in Bhubaneswar and Angul. The officer has been identified as Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, chief engineer, plan roads, rural works (RW) division.

On seeing the vigilance officers, Sarangi threw bundles of cash in ₹500 denomination through the window of his flat in Bhubaneswar. The vigilance team has recovered ₹37 lakh in the presence of witnesses.

Y.K. Jethwa, director, vigilance, said: “We have seized ₹1.30 crore from Sarangi’s residence at Angul and also ₹1.21 crore from another flat in Bhubaneswar. We have also detected huge investments by him in stock market and insurances.”

As per the vigilance team, Sarangi invested ₹2.70 crore in the share market, ₹1.5 crore in bank and insurance deposits. The team has also seized a four-wheeler. “The measurement and valuation, assessment of the buildings, flats, and plots are being carried out by the vigilance’s technical wing. One locker being maintained at Axis Bank, Angul, in the name of his wife, is yet to be opened,” a release said.