The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police on Friday, 6 November 2026, launched simultaneous searches at 11 locations across Bhubaneswar and Rayagada district, targeting premises linked to former Rajya Sabha member Bhaskar Rao Nekkanti and others in connection with an alleged ₹80 crore financial fraud involving the Rayagada Truck Owners' Association. Eight separate EOW teams are conducting the searches, which are part of a widening probe into large-scale criminal misappropriation and extortion.

Locations Under the Scanner

The search operations span residential premises, association offices, and private business addresses. According to the EOW, teams have been deployed at the residences of Bhaskar Rao Nekkanti, B. Manmadha Rao, and G. Krishna at Raniguda Farm, Pitala Street, and Rayat Colony in Rayagada, respectively. The office of the Rayagada Truck Owners' Association on the main road in Rayagada, as well as Aditya Industries Pvt Ltd at the Forest Park area in Bhubaneswar, are also among the premises being searched.

Nature of the Alleged Fraud

The EOW registered Case No. 15/26 on 22 September under Sections 406, 403, 417, 420, 384, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The case pertains to large-scale financial irregularities, criminal misappropriation of funds, extortion, and criminal intimidation allegedly carried out by office-bearers of the association.

Critically, the EOW has alleged that the principal accused, acting in connivance with other office-bearers, collected money from truck owners since 2005 — reportedly under various heads, including, purportedly, contributions for funding Naxalite activities. The collections are estimated to have been substantial, with no proper accounting or issuance of receipts, the agency stated.

Where the Funds Allegedly Went

"The collections are estimated to have amounted to be huge and without proper accounting or issuance of receipts. It is further alleged that the misappropriated funds were diverted to various private business ventures, including logistics, trading, mining and real estate companies," the EOW said in a statement.

Investigators reportedly collected various incriminating documents during Friday's searches. The alleged irregularities are suspected to span over two decades, raising serious questions about the association's financial oversight and the accountability of its office-bearers to the truck owners who contributed to its funds.

Background and Scale of the Probe

The Rayagada Truck Owners' Association represents a significant section of the transport community in Odisha's southern districts. The alleged diversion of funds into sectors such as mining and real estate — industries with considerable political and economic clout in the region — adds complexity to the investigation. This comes amid broader efforts by Odisha's law-enforcement agencies to tackle white-collar crime and financial irregularities involving public organisations.

The involvement of a former Rajya Sabha member underscores the political sensitivity of the case. The EOW has not ruled out further arrests or searches as the probe deepens, with incriminating documents reportedly seized during Friday's simultaneous operations.