Vigilance officials on Wednesday arrested an assistant executive engineer for allegedly acquiring properties worth Rs 6.53 crore in what is being described as the biggest seizure of ill-gotten wealth from a public servant.

The engineer, Rabindra Nath Pradhan, is currently working in the General Health Public Division–II in Bhubaneswar. He has allegedly been found to be in possession of three-storey buildings, houses and market complexes in Bhubaneswar and other parts of the state.

“He and his family members have 48 one-bedroom flats worth Rs.4.04 crore at Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar,” the vigilance department said.

He also owns eight plots of land in Bhubaneswar and different areas of Ganjam district.

Superintendent of police (vigilance cell), M. Radhakrishna said, “This is the highest ever seizure of property amassed by a public servant by the vigilance department. The investigation is on and the value of the properties might go up further.”

Pradhan’s son is a builder. Vigilance sources said Pradhan was putting all his illegally earned money in the projects of his builder son. There are three companies registered in the name of his son. Two of them deal in real estate while the third one is engaged in food processing and preservation business. Pradhan’s son is also a partner in a firm dealing in agricultural products. His company has constructed the 48 flats that belong to the family.

“How can an assistant executive engineer with a salary of just Rs 60,000 accumulate such vast property? We had some complaints about his illegal activities and raided his house and that of his relatives after watching his activities for some time. The amount of his wealth has surprised us. We will check all the income tax returns as well,” a senior official said.

Vigilance sleuths are also conducting a raid against another engineer in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

Significantly, most government servants landing in the vigilance net have either made money by acting as a land broker or through the construction business.

On Monday, vigilance officials had arrested a lecturer in Gajapati district for accumulating properties worth more than Rs 2 crore.

G. Nageswar Rao, a lecturer of education at Minaketan Degree College at Gurundi, has buildings in his native village and several other places in Odisha. Vigilance sleuths also recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash from his possession. He had amassed the wealth through land-brokerage business.

On October 15, vigilance officials had nabbed a schoolteacher who had accumulated properties worth over Rs 1.5 crore

“The teacher used to skip classes and spend time dealing in land,” said vigilance superintendent of police (Berhampur), Anil Kumar Patra.