Cash Stacks Uncovered: Odisha Mines Official's Massive Corruption Bust

Officials recovered Rs 4 crore from Odisha Mines Department officer Debabrata Mohanty's flat in Bhubaneswar, as part of a corruption probe. Mohanty was caught accepting a bribe, prompting a significant vigilance operation. This marks the highest-ever cash seizure by the agency in a corruption case.

On a recent Wednesday, officials from the Vigilance Department made a startling discovery at the residence of Debabrata Mohanty, an officer of the Odisha Mines Department. Allegedly involved in a corruption scandal, Mohanty's home in Bhubaneswar was found to contain stacks of notes totaling Rs 4 crore, marking the highest cash seizure recorded by the anti-corruption agency.

Mohanty's arrest came after he was reportedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a licensed coal vendor, thereby initiating a series of searches conducted by vigilance officials. These searches extended beyond his city flat to include his parental home in Bhadrak and his workplace in Cuttack. Officials also discovered Rs 1.20 lakh in cash hidden in his office drawer.

The magnitude of the assets uncovered did not end with cash alone; Mohanty owned a luxurious double-storey house in Bhubaneswar and possessed approximately 130 grams of gold. Charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, his case has drawn parallels to a previous high-profile seizure in Ganjam district involving an assistant engineer, where Rs 3.4 crore was found in April 2022.