TNI Bureau: In a major anti-corruption operation, Odisha Vigilance officials have seized more than ₹4 crore in suspected unaccounted cash from the residence of Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines for the Cuttack Circle.
The recovery is being described as the largest cash seizure in the history of the state Vigilance department. Mohanty was arrested on Monday night after allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹30,000 from a licensed coal trader.
Soon after his arrest, Vigilance teams carried out coordinated searches at several locations linked to him, including his apartment in Patia’s Shree Vihar area in Bhubaneswar, his ancestral home in Bhadrak district, and his office in Cuttack.
During the raid at his Patia residence, officials found large quantities of cash reportedly hidden inside trolley bags and cupboards. While the counting process is still underway, the total amount seized is estimated to be over ₹4 crore.
Apart from this, officials recovered around ₹1.20 lakh in cash from his office and from his personal possession. Investigators also traced other assets linked to Mohanty, including a two-storey house at Pahala in Bhubaneswar measuring about 2,400 square feet and nearly 130 grams of gold ornaments.
Vigilance authorities have termed the recovery unprecedented and have begun a detailed probe into Mohanty’s financial dealings, bank accounts, and property records to determine the extent of possible disproportionate assets. The investigation is expected to continue in the coming days.
