Argus News - Odisha Vigilance Raid Uncovers Record Seizure of Cash: See Top 10 Biggest Hauls

Bhubaneswar, Feb 25: A bribe of ₹30,000 led Odisha Vigilance to a state-record recovery of over ₹4 crore on Wednesday. The vigilance officials apprehended Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines (Cuttack Circle), while accepting the bribe from a licensed coal trader "to allow smooth running of his coal depot & to grant  permission to transport coal".

Executed with prior planning, the trap led to the immediate seizure of the bribe money and triggered simultaneous raids across multiple properties linked to Mohanty. What followed has now entered the record books of Odisha Vigilance history.

During searches at Mohanty’s Bhubaneswar flat, officials uncovered more than ₹4 crore in cash, neatly stacked in trolley bags and almirahs. Machines were brought in to count the bundles of notes, and investigators believe the total amount seized could rise further. This marks the single largest cash recovery ever made by Odisha Vigilance.

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The crackdown comes against the backdrop of a series of high-profile corruption cases in the state.

 
Top Cash Seizures by Odisha Vigilance Prior to this Raid

• ₹3.41 crore from Kartikeswar Raul, AE, MI, Bhanjanagar, Ganjam on 07.04.2022.
• ₹3.12 crore from Sri Prasanta Kumar Rout, Addl. Sub-Collector, Nabarangpur on 22/23.06.2023.
• ₹2.56 crore from Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, Chief Engineer, Plan Roads, RW Department, Bhubaneswar on 30.05.2025.
• ₹2.08 crore from Santanu Mohapatra, DD & PD, Watershed, Malkangiri on 06.02.2025.
• ₹1.64 crore from Umesh Chandra Jena, Additional Director, Directorate of Mines, Bhubaneswar on 03.03.2023.
• ₹1.43 crore from Rama Chandra Nepak, Deputy Ranger, Jeypore Forest Range, Koraput on 25.07.2025.
• ₹1.40 crore from Ashish Kumar Das, SE, RW Division, Malkangiri on 25.03.2022.
• ₹1.13 crore from Dr. Sukant Jena, Gynaecologist, Charichhaka CHC following trap on 16.02.2022.
• ₹1.06 crore from Gaya Santara, Joint Manager, IDCOL on 20/21.12.2022.
• ₹1.01 crore from Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra, Ex-DFO, Athagarh, Cuttack on 24.02.2016.

Responding to a question raised by MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain in the Assembly, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi acknowledged the deep-rooted corruption among officials, stressed on Vigilance’s aggressive action mode, and presented shocking data on corruption in the state.

“Over the past five years, Odisha Vigilance has arrested 310 government officials and employees for possessing disproportionate assets and engaging in irregular financial dealings,” revealed CM Majhi. “Of these, 22 officials have already faced confiscation of their properties, with assets worth over ₹40 crore — ₹40,84,67,667 — seized,” he added, underscoring the scale of corruption unearthed in recent years.

Replying to another question, the Odisha CM revealed that between January 2023 and December 2025, Vigilance registered 683 corruption cases, securing convictions in 337 of them.

“Six officials had their properties confiscated, which were repurposed for public welfare, including government nurseries, homoeopathy dispensaries, anganwadi centres, a working women’s hostel, and even a sub-post office,” stated CM Majhi. “Additionally, ₹32.5 lakh — ₹32,50,844 — in seized cash was deposited into the state treasury,” he concluded.

The Debabrata Mohanty case, however, stands out not only for the sheer volume of cash recovered but also for the symbolic message it sends. Vigilance’s record-breaking seizure highlights both the scale of corruption within the mining sector and the state’s determination to clamp down on illicit wealth.

“In this connection, Bhubaneswar Vigilance PS Case No. 01 dated 23.02.2026 has been registered u/s 7PC (Amendment) Act, 2018 against the accused Sri Mohanty, Dy. Director of Mines,” reads a social media — ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) — post by Odisha Vigilance.

As counting continues, Odisha awaits the final tally of the largest corruption-linked cash haul in its history.