Vigilance authorities apprehended Debabrata Mohanty, a Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, after discovering a record sum exceeding Rs 4.27 crore in cash at his rented residence during simultaneous searches at various locations connected to him. Mohanty was taken into custody by Odisha Vigilance and presented before the Special Judge, Vigilance, in Bhubaneswar. The arrest followed allegations of Mohanty accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a licensed coal vendor to facilitate operations at his coal depot and authorize coal transportation.
In response to a complaint, vigilance officers set up a sting operation and caught Mohanty red-handed while receiving the bribe. Subsequent searches at Mohanty’s rented flat in Bhubaneswar, parental house in Bhadrak, and office chamber in Cuttack led to the recovery of Rs 4,27,13,600 hidden in bags and cupboards at his residence, along with Rs 1.20 lakh found in his office drawer. Additionally, gold jewelry weighing 305.40 grams and 600 grams of silver ornaments were seized during the search. A senior vigilance official disclosed that Mohanty faces a pending case registered in 2009 at the Vigilance Court in Baripada.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the State Assembly that the Vigilance Department initiated 416 cases against government officials and employees in Odisha for bribery, financial irregularities, and possession of disproportionate assets between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025.
