Debabrata Mohanty Remanded in Vigilance Custody After ₹4.27 Cr Cash Seizure in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, March 5: Former Deputy Director of Mines (Cuttack Circle) Debabrata Mohanty has been remanded to three days of Vigilance custody by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar, in connection with a high‑profile bribery and disproportionate assets case.
Mohanty was arrested in late February after being caught red‑handed accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe from a licensed coal vendor.
Subsequent raids at his Bhubaneswar residence led to the recovery of over Rs 4.27 crore in unaccounted cash—the largest single seizure in Odisha Vigilance history—along with gold and documents pointing to illegal mineral extraction during his tenure in Phulbani.
The Vigilance had sought five days of custody, but the court granted three, allowing investigators to probe further under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018.
Parallelly, the Enforcement Directorate has initiated a money laundering investigation.
Officials confirmed Mohanty will be taken to Phulbani for an inventory search of his rented house, as authorities intensify efforts to trace the origins of the illicit wealth and uncover irregularities in the mining sector.
