In a significant crackdown against corruption, the Odisha Vigilance Department carried out multiple raids and seized more than ₹4 crore in cash from the Bhubaneswar flat of a senior mines official. The operation has been described as one of the largest cash recoveries ever made by Odisha Vigilance.
The accused officer, identified as Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, was reportedly caught in a trap operation while allegedly accepting a bribe amount of ₹30,000 from a licensed coal vendor. Following the arrest, vigilance teams conducted simultaneous searches at several locations linked to him, including his apartment in Bhubaneswar, his office chamber in Cuttack, and his ancestral house in Bhadrak district.
During the search at the Bhubaneswar residence, officials recovered huge stacks of cash reportedly hidden inside trolley bags and cupboards. Apart from the cash haul, investigators also detected additional assets including around 130 grams of gold and a double-storey building located in the Pahala area. Authorities stated that the counting and verification of assets were ongoing at the time of reporting.
The Odisha Vigilance Department has continued its investigation to examine the source of the seized money and to determine whether the assets are disproportionate to the official’s known sources of income. The case has drawn widespread public attention due to the record amount of cash recovered during the raid, highlighting the state’s ongoing efforts to curb corruption in public offices.
