Bureau (25 February 2026): In what is being described as one of the biggest seizures in Odisha’s vigilance history, officials have recovered more than ₹4 crore in cash along with substantial quantities of gold and silver ornaments from the residence of mining officer Debabrata Mohanty, the Deputy Director of Mines posted in Cuttack.
Mohanty was reportedly caught by the Vigilance Department on charges of accepting a bribe. Following his arrest, vigilance teams conducted searches at multiple locations linked to him. During the raids, officials discovered huge amounts of unaccounted cash and valuables from his residence.
Simultaneously, a search operation was carried out at his ancestral house in Bhadrak, where vigilance officials seized several important documents believed to be connected to the investigation. Authorities stated that the recovered materials are being examined to ascertain possible disproportionate assets and financial irregularities.
According to preliminary information, the scale of cash recovery makes this seizure one of the largest ever conducted by the Vigilance Department in Odisha. The counting of seized money and verification of valuables are still underway, and officials have indicated that the total value may increase as the investigation progresses.
The Vigilance Department has intensified its probe to trace the source of the recovered assets, examine financial transactions, and identify any possible links to illegal mining activities or corruption networks.
Further investigation is ongoing.
