Ex-Deputy Director of Mines Debabrata Mohanty Remanded to Vigilance Custody in Corruption Case

Bhubaneswar: In a major development in the high-profile corruption case involving massive cash seizures, the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar on Thursday remanded Debabrata Mohanty, former Deputy Director of Mines, Cuttack Circle, to Vigilance custody for three days until March 7, 2026.

The remand was granted following a plea by the Investigating Officer in the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018. While the Vigilance had sought five days of police remand, the court approved only three days for further investigation.

Mohanty was arrested in late February after he was allegedly caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a licensed coal vendor in exchange for facilitating coal depot operations and transport permissions.

Following the arrest, Vigilance officials conducted raids at his rented flat in the Patia area of Bhubaneswar, where they recovered over Rs 4.27 crore in unaccounted cash. The money, the highest single seizure in the history of Odisha Vigilance, was found hidden in trolley bags and almirahs.

Further searches at his office and parental residence reportedly led to the discovery of additional assets, including gold and evidence indicating disproportionate wealth allegedly amassed during his postings, particularly in Phulbani between 2022 and 2025, a period marked by widespread illegal extraction of minor minerals.

The case has attracted significant attention, with the Enforcement Directorate initiating a parallel investigation under money laundering provisions.

As part of the ongoing probe, Mohanty is scheduled to be taken to Phulbani on Friday for an inventory search of his rented house there, as investigators attempt to trace the source of the illicit wealth and examine alleged irregularities in the mining sector.