Bhubaneswar: Vigilance sleuths seized a staggering Rs 4.27 crore in unaccounted cash from the residence of deputy director of mines Debabrata Mohanty here on Wednesday, which the officers claimed was the biggest recovery in a single operation in the state.The cash was unearthed a day after 58-year-old Mohanty was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a coal vendor in Cuttack.
“Serving as deputy director of mines in Cuttack circle, Mohanty had allegedly been demanding monthly payments from licenced coal traders in exchange for facilitating depot operations,” vigilance director Yeshwant Jethwa said.Following Mohanty’s arrest, simultaneous searches were conducted at his Shree Vihar flat in Bhubaneswar, where officials discovered Rs 4.27 crore hidden inside trolley bags and cupboards. An additional Rs 1.2 lakh was recovered from his office chamber in Cuttack.Investigators also unearthed other assets, including a palatial double-storey house at Pahala here and about 130 grams of gold. Vigilance officers are now probing the source of the seized wealth, period of its accumulation, suspected involvement of other officials and possible links to wider irregularities.“We are investigating his modus operandi and chasing the money trail. He had demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 40,000 from the coal depot owner. When the businessman resisted, he agreed to Rs 30,000. The businessman then approached us,” SP (vigilance) Saroj Kumar Samal said.Samal said Mohanty was earlier booked in an alleged fund misappropriation case in Sept 2009 in Balasore.Mohanty joined govt service on Aug 9, 2004, with a salary of Rs 8,000. He currently draws about Rs 1.12 lakh per month. His began as junior mining officer in Balangir, followed by postings at Baripada, Berhampur, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar between 2004 and 2018. Promoted to assistant mining officer (chief surveyor) in 2018, he later served in Sambalpur and Phulbani before assuming charge as deputy director of mines, Cuttack circle, on Jan 7, 2026. His jurisdiction covers Cuttack and Kendrapada districts.The record seizure has sparked public outrage over alleged entrenched corruption in the mining sector. “The officer could not have amassed such wealth overnight. There must be a chain of beneficiaries. The probe should not stop with his arrest — everyone involved must be exposed,” social activist Akhaya Das said.
