Odisha’s anti-corruption Vigilance Department has made what it describes as the highest-ever cash seizure in its history, recovering over Rs 4 crore in unaccounted cash from the Bhubaneswar flat of Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle.
Mohanty was apprehended on the night of 24 February for allegedly accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe from a licensed coal vendor. Following his arrest, Vigilance teams conducted simultaneous raids at three locations linked to him, his residential flat in Patia, Bhubaneswar, his ancestral home in Bhadrak, and his office in Cuttack, unearthing a scale of alleged corruption that has shocked the state. A case has been registered against Mohanty under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and investigations are ongoing.
Crores Concealed in Trolley Bags
The cash, hidden in trolley bags and almirahs inside his Bhubaneswar flat, marks the largest cash seizure in Odisha Vigilance history. In addition, Rs 1.20 lakh in cash was recovered from Mohanty’s office drawer, and other assets detected so far include a palatial double-storey house in Bhubaneswar and approximately 130 grams of gold.
Vigilance officials confirmed that the exact total is still being counted. Mohanty was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting Rs 30,000 from the vendor in exchange for allowing the uninterrupted functioning of his coal depot and granting permission to transport coal. Authorities have described the recovery as “unprecedented” and have launched a detailed probe into his financial dealings, bank accounts, and property records to determine the full extent of his alleged disproportionate assets.
A Pattern of Corruption
This case does not exist in isolation. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently told the State Assembly that the Vigilance Department registered a total of 416 cases against government officers and employees between January 2024 and December 2025 for taking bribes, committing financial irregularities, and possessing disproportionate assets, of which 244 cases are still pending investigation.
The state government has established 22 Vigilance Courts, including two Special Courts, for the prompt trial of such cases. The Mohanty case, triggered by a complaint from a coal vendor who was allegedly being extorted for routine business permissions, illustrates how systemic corruption in regulatory offices can directly burden ordinary citizens and small traders trying to earn an honest living.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The discovery of Rs 4 crore, a sum most Indians will never see in a lifetime, stuffed into trolley bags in a government official’s flat is not merely a criminal matter; it is a moral indictment of a system that too often allows those entrusted with public power to exploit it for private gain.
What makes this case particularly troubling is that the corruption began with a Rs 30,000 demand from a coal vendor, a small businessperson simply seeking permission to do his job. Behind every such bribe lies a person who either pays up to survive or risks losing their livelihood.
Odisha’s Vigilance Department deserves credit for its swift action, and the Chief Minister’s stated commitment to institutional reform is a step in the right direction. But enforcement alone cannot fix a culture of corruption, that requires transparency, accountability, and the courage to demand better from those who govern us.
Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday apprehended Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, Cuttack, while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a licensed coal vendor. #Odisha #OmmcomNewshttps://t.co/WBN0VrLXIo
— Ommcom News (@OmmcomNews) February 24, 2026
