Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday apprehended Debabrata Mohanty, Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a licensed coal vendor to allow smooth operation of his coal depot and grant permission for coal transportation.
According to Vigilance officials, Mohanty was caught in a trap operation while taking the bribe amount from the businessman. Following the apprehension, simultaneous searches were conducted at his residential flat in Shree Vihar, Patia, Bhubaneswar, his parental house at Mathasahi in Bhadrak, and his office chamber in Cuttack, according to media reports.
During the searches, Vigilance officials recovered and seized over Rs 4 crore in cash from his flat in Bhubaneswar. The agency, in a post on X, stated that this marks the highest-ever cash seizure in its history.
In connection with the case, Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station Case No. 01 dated 23.02.2026 has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 against the accused officer.
Further investigation into the matter is underway.
