Bhubaneswar: In a major development in the high-profile corruption case involving massive cash seizures, a special court in Bhubaneswar remanded Debabrata Mohanty, former Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, to Vigilance custody for three days till March 7.
The remand was granted on the prayer of the Investigating Officer in Bhubaneswar Vigilance case, registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018. The vigilance had sought five days of police remand, but the court of the special Vigilance Judge approved only three days for further investigation.
Mohanty was arr
ested last month after being caught red-handed accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe from a licensed coal vendor in exchange for facilitating coal depot operations and transport permissions.
Raids at his rented flat in Bhubaneswar’s Patia area led to the recovery of over Rs 4.27 crore in unaccounted cash—the highest single seizure in Odisha Vigilance’s history—hidden in trolley bags and almirahs.
This apart, searches at his office and parental home uncovered more assets, including gold and indications of disproportionate wealth amassed during postings, particularly in Phulbani (2022-2025), amid rampant illegal minor mineral extraction.
The case has drawn widespread attention, with the Enforcement Directorate initiating a parallel money laundering probe.
Sources said Mohanty will be taken to Phulbani for an inventory search of his rented house there, as part of ongoing efforts to trace the origins of the illicit wealth and probe related irregularities in the mining sector.