Watch Cash Showers in Bhubaneswar: Odisha Engineer Tries to Dump Crores Through Window During Vigilance Raid
Watch Cash Showers in Bhubaneswar: Odisha Engineer Tries to Dump Crores Through Window During Vigilance Raid
In a scene that looked straight out of a thriller, residents of Bhubaneswar witnessed an astonishing moment when bundles of cash came flying out of a high-rise apartment window. The unexpected “cash rain” was not a lucky windfall, but a desperate attempt by a senior government engineer to hide unaccounted money during a high-stakes anti-corruption raid.
Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, the Chief Engineer (Plan Roads) with Odisha’s Rural Development Department, found himself at the center of a major vigilance crackdown on Friday. Acting on allegations that Sarangi had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, Odisha Vigilance officials launched coordinated raids at seven different locations connected to him, spanning Bhubaneswar, Angul, and Pipili in Puri district.
As vigilance teams arrived at Sarangi’s Dumduma flat in Bhubaneswar, he allegedly attempted to discard the evidence in panic—flinging bundles of ₹500 notes through a window. The cash, however, was quickly recovered by the search team in the presence of independent witnesses, ensuring it was documented properly.
The sweeping operation—backed by 26 officers including 8 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), 12 Inspectors, and 6 Assistant Sub-Inspectors—yielded staggering results. A total of ₹2.1 crore in cash was recovered: ₹1 crore from his Bhubaneswar flat and ₹1.1 crore from his double-storey residence in Karadagadia, Angul.
The raids were conducted under the authority of search warrants issued by the Special Vigilance Judge, Angul. The locations raided included:
A double-storeyed residential building in Karadagadia, Angul
A flat in Dumduma, Bhubaneswar
A flat in Siula, Pipili (Puri)
Sarangi’s paternal home in Angul
A double-storeyed paternal house, also in Angul
A relative’s residence in Sikshyakapada, Angul
His office chamber at the Chief Engineer’s office in Bhubaneswar
Currency counting machines were deployed on-site to verify the massive haul of notes, which included bundles not just of ₹500 but also denominations of ₹200, ₹100, and ₹50.
In video footage now making rounds online, stacks of seized cash can be seen lined up on tables, being methodically counted by vigilance officials. The visuals have sparked both shock and outrage among citizens.
Officials have confirmed that the searches are still ongoing and that a detailed assessment of the seized assets and their sources is currently underway. As investigations continue, the story of flying cash has left the state—and the internet—buzzing, and raised serious questions about corruption at the highest levels of bureaucracy.
