Anti-corruption investigators in Odisha's Bargarh district have carried out extensive simultaneous searches targeting the properties of a local panchayat executive officer suspected of accumulating wealth completely disproportionate to his lawful earnings. The operation was launched against Kartikeswar Behera, who serves as the Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) of Katapali gram panchayat within Gaisilet block. Officials uncovered an expansive portfolio of movable and immovable assets valued at multiple crores of rupees spread across residential, commercial, and agricultural sectors.
Extensive Portfolio of Land Parcels and Multi-Storey Buildings
Documentation gathered by the inspection teams revealed that Behera and his family members acquired two massive multi-storey residential structures, 35 prime land plots, an expansive warehouse, and a dedicated six-room market complex. Located at Kandagarh near Gaisilet, his completed two-storey personal residence occupies a built-up area of approximately 6,500 square feet. Additionally, inside Gaisilet, an under-construction four-storey residential structure spanning roughly 8,000 square feet was pinpointed by the investigative squad.
In terms of commercial infrastructure, search personnel located a commercial market complex measuring around 2,400 square feet in Kandagarh, consisting of six independent units or rooms. In the same Kandagarh locality, a separate storage warehouse covering about 1,500 square feet and featuring three distinct compartments was also found. In total, 35 valuable plots situated along the suburban peripheries of Gaisilet and Kandagarh were recorded. Specialized technical valuation personnel have been deployed on site to carry out detailed structural measurements and calculate the total financial value of each building, plot, and commercial establishment.
Cash, Vehicles, Gold, and Agricultural Goods Seized From Warehouse
Upon inspecting the storage warehouse, personnel discovered agricultural produce consisting of Mahua flowers with an estimated market value of around Rs 22 lakh. In addition to the stored produce, investigators seized Rs 2,98,177 in liquid cash from the premises. Scrutiny of household valuables also brought to light gold jewelry valued at approximately Rs 3.70 lakh, alongside several high-value domestic consumer items.
The inventory of automobiles and transport equipment parked at the locations included a Bolero four-wheeler, an agricultural tractor, and four two-wheelers. Investigators are conducting intensive questioning regarding the origins of the funds used to purchase these vehicles, consumer items, and properties to verify if any portion aligns with his declared public salary.
Simultaneous Raids Across Six Key Locations
Acting on search warrants granted by the court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bargarh, enforcement teams coordinated searches at six targeted destinations across the district on Tuesday, 22 September. The sites covered during the sweep comprised Behera's two-storey house at Gaisilet near Kandagarh, the six-room market complex in Kandagarh, the three-room warehouse, the ongoing four-storey construction site in Gaisilet, his ancestral home located in Kandagarh village, and his official administrative chamber at the Katapali gram panchayat office.
To execute the crackdown without leakage of information, six dedicated operational teams were assembled under the direct leadership of five Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs). The search contingent further comprised eight Inspectors, two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs), and auxiliary personnel.
From a Rs 500 Entry-Level Salary to a Three-Decade Career
Born on 11 January 1970, Kartikeswar Behera entered public service in July 1994 as a basic secretary assigned to Gaisilet gram panchayat, drawing an initial monthly remuneration of just Rs 500. After serving for fifteen years, he earned a promotion on 4 June 2009 to the post of Village Level Worker (VLW), a role that was formally redesignated as Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) in 2012.
Behera was posted as the regular PEO for Katapali gram panchayat in 2024, while simultaneously managing the duties of Phiringimal and Gourenmunda gram panchayats as an officer in charge. Across his three decades of state service within Bargarh district, his salary grew to its current monthly figure of Rs 52,320, an amount standing in sharp contrast to the vast wealth uncovered by authorities.
