Officials of the Odisha Vigilance seized over Rs 4 crore in cash from the residence of Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, hours after arresting him for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000, in what is being described as the largest cash haul in the department’s history.
According to Vigilance officials, Mohanty had demanded the bribe from a licensed coal trader in exchange for allowing the smooth operation of a coal depot and granting transportation permissions. Acting on a complaint, officials laid a trap and caught him red-handed while receiving the bribe. Following his arrest, a case was registered at the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station, and an investigation was launched.
Soon after, Vigilance teams conducted simultaneous raids at three locations — his residential flat in Bhubaneswar, his parental house at Mathasahi in Bhadrak district, and his office chamber in Cuttack. During the searches, officials recovered cash exceeding Rs 4 crore from his Bhubaneswar residence. The money was concealed inside trolley bags and almirahs. Officials said the seizure is the highest-ever cash recovery in the history of the Vigilance department in Odisha, and counting is still underway to determine the exact amount.
In addition, Rs 1.20 lakh in cash was recovered from Mohanty’s office drawer and from his personal possession. Investigators also unearthed other assets, including a double-storey building measuring about 2,400 square feet near Pahala in Bhubaneswar and approximately 130 grams of gold ornaments.
According to Vigilance records, Mohanty joined government service on August 9, 2004, as a Junior Mining Officer (Senior Surveyor) at the Mining Office in Balangir with a monthly salary of Rs 8,000. He later served in Baripada between 2006 and 2008, Berhampur from 2009 to 2011, and Cuttack from 2011 to 2014, before being posted at the state headquarters in Bhubaneswar from 2014 to 2018.
He was promoted to Assistant Mining Officer (Chief Surveyor) in March 2018 and posted in Sambalpur. From April 2022 to December 2025, he served as Mining Officer in Phulbani, overseeing Phulbani, Boudh, and Nayagarh districts. On January 7, 2026, he joined as Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, with jurisdiction over Cuttack and Kendrapara districts.
Officials said search operations are still ongoing, and a detailed assessment of Mohanty’s movable and immovable assets will be carried out after the raids are completed.
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