By | Kalyani Mandle | PR Desk
Mumbai: Anti-corruption crackdown in Odisha, the state vigilance department has seized more than ₹4 crore in unaccounted cash during raids on the residence and properties of senior mining officer Debabrata Mohanty, officials confirmed. The recovery is being described as the largest cash seizure in the history of Odisha Vigilance.
According to investigators, Mohanty, who was serving as Deputy Director of Mines in the Cuttack Circle, was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a ₹30,000 bribe from a coal trader. The bribe was reportedly demanded in exchange for allowing smooth operation of the trader’s depot and transport permissions.
Following his arrest, vigilance teams carried out simultaneous searches at multiple locations, including his Bhubaneswar flat, ancestral home in Bhadrak district, and office chamber in Cuttack. During the raid on his residence, officials recovered huge bundles of cash hidden in trolley bags, cupboards and other storage spaces.
Apart from the cash haul, investigators also recovered around ₹1.2 lakh from his office drawer, gold jewellery weighing about 130 grams, and details of a two-storey house built on nearly 2,400 square feet of land in Bhubaneswar. Authorities suspect the officer amassed wealth disproportionate to his income and have launched a detailed probe into his assets and financial links.
Officials stated that the operation began as a routine bribery trap but soon uncovered a much larger corruption network, raising fresh concerns about irregularities in the mining administration. A case has been registered under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and further recoveries are not being ruled out as searches continue.
The incident has triggered political and administrative reactions in the state, with vigilance authorities reiterating their commitment to strict action against corruption in key revenue-generating sectors such as mining.
