Bhubaneswar: Once upon a time, touching the Bhagavad Gita before giving testimony in courts symbolised truth and duty. Though that ritual has faded into history, Odisha vigilance officials recently revived the spirit of the sacred scripture in an unusual way—using its wisdom to persuade a reluctant complainant and ultimately expose a corrupt officer.On Thursday, vigilance sleuths arrested mines officer Debabrata Mohanty after recovering Rs 4 crore in cash from his Bhubaneswar flat. The dramatic bust was set against a backdrop inspired by the timeless battlefield dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna in the Mahabharata.Officials revealed that Mohanty had been extorting a coal contractor, demanding a monthly bribe of Rs 40,000 to allow his business to run smoothly. The contractor initially gave a verbal complaint but backed out when asked to file a formal report, fearing retaliation and damage to his livelihood. He switched off his phone and remained incommunicado.What followed was remarkable. “When he developed cold feet, we tracked him down. Drawing on the Bhagavad Gita’s teachings, one of our officers counselled him for over three hours. He was reminded of Krishna’s advice to Arjuna—performing one’s duty without fear of consequences and standing for righteousness over corruption. To strengthen our appeal, we even showed him YouTube clips of the Arjuna-Krishna dialogues,” a vigilance source said.Finally convinced, the contractor lodged a formal complaint, paving the way for Mohanty’s arrest. “This case had a rare human and philosophical dimension. Our officer persuaded him by invoking the Gita’s teachings. It was about courage, duty, and choosing the right path,” the source said.Interestingly, the same vigilance officer had received inputs from this contractor two years ago about another corrupt official, though that case did not materialise. “Maintaining contact over time proved crucial, as the contractor tipped off vigilance about Mohanty two months ago, leading to Thursday’s breakthrough,” the source said.
