Daijiworld Media Network - Bhubaneshwar

Bhubaneswar, Feb 25: In what officials described as the biggest cash seizure in its history, the Odisha Vigilance Department has arrested a senior mining officer after recovering more than Rs 4 crore in unaccounted cash during raids across multiple locations.

Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, was caught red-handed on Tuesday while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a licensed coal trader. According to vigilance officials, Mohanty had allegedly demanded the money to allow smooth functioning of the trader’s coal depot and to grant permission for coal transportation.

Acting on a complaint, vigilance officials laid a trap and apprehended Mohanty while he was receiving the bribe. The entire bribe amount was recovered and seized on the spot.

Following the arrest, simultaneous searches were conducted at Mohanty’s flat in Bhubaneswar, his ancestral house in Bhadrak district, and his office chamber in Cuttack.

During the raid at his Bhubaneswar apartment, officials recovered over Rs 4 crore in cash, allegedly concealed in trolley bags and cupboards. Counting of the seized cash is still underway to ascertain the exact total.

Additionally, Rs 1.20 lakh was recovered from Mohanty’s office drawer and during his personal search.

Preliminary investigations also revealed other assets, including a two-storey residential house built on approximately 2,400 square feet of land in Bhubaneswar and around 130 grams of gold.

A case has been registered against Mohanty under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 at the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station.

Vigilance officials said search operations are ongoing and further recoveries cannot be ruled out as the investigation progresses.