Cuttack, Feb 25: In a major crackdown on corruption, Odisha Vigilance arrested Cuttack Circle Deputy Director of Mines Debabrata Mohanty after seizing Rs 4 crore in cash and 130 grams of gold from his residence in Shri Vihar.
The arrest came a day after Vigilance officials allegedly caught Mohanty accepting a bribe of Rs30,000. What initially appeared to be a routine trap case soon snowballed into one of the biggest cash recoveries in the history of Odisha Vigilance.
Following the trap, the anti-corruption team launched simultaneous searches at multiple locations linked to the officer. During the raid at his Shri Vihar residence, officials recovered Rs 4 crore in cash and gold ornaments weighing 130 grams. The search operation at the premises was continuing at the time of reporting.
In addition, Rs1.20 lakh in cash was seized from the Deputy Director of Mines (DDM) office. Vigilance officials also recovered 19 foreign currency notes during the searches.
Sources said this marks the highest-ever cash seizure by Odisha Vigilance to date. Officials stated that Mohanty was unable to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the disproportionate assets recovered during the raids, following which he was placed under arrest.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
