Bhubaneswar: Debabrata Mohanty, the deputy director of mines who was arrested by Odisha vigilance after Rs 4 crore in cash was seized from his residence on Thursday, lived a shadowy existence, carefully concealing his whereabouts from his colleagues and acquaintances, according to sources.To avoid detection, Mohanty never allowed his office driver to drop him at his doorstep. Instead, he would alight nearly 500 metres away and walk the rest of the distance, ensuring no one could trace the location where he had hidden his alleged ill-gotten wealth.Odisha vigilance sources revealed that Mohanty had grown cautious after raids on fellow govt officers and adopted extraordinary measures to shield his stash. His latest hideout—a rented flat in Patia area of Bhubaneswar — was known only to him and his wife. “He led a painfully frugal public life, avoided any display of wealth and kept his entire fortune in a rented flat,” a vigilance source said.Though Mohanty owns a palatial double-storeyed house in Pahala on the city’s outskirts, he never lived there. Instead, he frequently shifted between rented accommodations, changing addresses at regular intervals. His most recent move to Patia took place just 45 days ago, with his staff and relatives being unaware.Acting on a complaint, vigilance teams began shadowing him and soon noticed his peculiar practice of walking home after being dropped a few metres from his residence. “We tracked him secretly and identified his flat days before the operation,” the source added.Mohanty was detained on Wednesday night while accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe from a coal contractor. On Thursday morning, another team raided his Patia flat. Initially, the building’s security personnel denied having any knowledge of him. Even residents claimed ignorance until a woman recognized his wife from a photograph and disclosed the flat number.When officers confronted Mohanty’s wife, she feigned ignorance until vigilance officials dialled her number using Mohanty’s phone. A subsequent search uncovered Rs 4 crore in cash hidden inside the flat.Officials later learned that Mohanty intended to spend the money after his retirement in 2028, fearing that any premature investment could attract scrutiny. He deliberately avoided acquiring benami properties, preferring to keep his fortune in liquid cash.
