Cuttack, TNI Bureau: In a significant development, Vigilance officials in Cuttack intercepted Sunil Kumar Behera, Commandant of the 1st Battalion, Odisha State Armed Police (OASP) in Dhenkanal, and seized more than Rs 10 lakh, suspected to be ill-gotten cash.

The operation unfolded on a Saturday evening near Madhusudan Setu in CDA, Sector-11, when Behera was on his way to Cuttack in his official vehicle. Acting on reliable information, the Vigilance team confronted Behera and conducted a thorough search, during which they discovered Rs 1,31,535 in his possession. As Behera could not satisfactorily account for the source of this money, the Vigilance officials promptly seized the amount.

Subsequently, the investigation led to Behera’s residence in Cuttack, where an additional Rs 8.7 lakh was discovered during a search operation. The total cash recovered from Behera, thus far, has reached a staggering Rs 10,01,535.

Following the interception, the Vigilance authorities initiated simultaneous searches at five different locations associated with Sunil Kumar Behera, with a focus on unearthing any potential evidence related to disproportionate assets (DA). Behera is currently under examination as investigators work diligently to ascertain the origin of the seized funds.

Sunil Kumar Behera, who holds the position of Commandant in the 1st Battalion of OASP in Dhenkanal, had been traveling to Cuttack in his official Bolero vehicle at the time of the interception.

The ongoing investigation seeks to shed light on the source of these funds and any potential links to illegal activities. A detailed report on this case is expected to follow as the Vigilance officials continue their thorough examination of Behera’s assets and financial transactions.