February 8th 2025.
In a recent development, the Odisha Vigilance has made an arrest in the case of disproportionate assets. The accused, Santanu Mohapatra, who was the deputy director and project director of a watershed in Malkangiri district, has been taken into custody on allegations of amassing wealth that is 414% more than his known sources of income. This is a significant amount of money, and it has raised eyebrows among the authorities.
During the investigation, the Vigilance officials also discovered that Mohapatra had four accomplices who were aiding him in the accumulation of illegal properties. These accomplices, Mohan Mandal, Biswajit Mandal, and Amiyakanta Sahu, were arrested for their involvement in the case. It was found that they were employed at the office of PD Watershed in Malkangiri and were helping Mohapatra in his corrupt activities.
In a separate incident, the Vigilance officers also apprehended Alekh Pradhan, who was operating a Jan Seva Kendra in Ganjam district. Further investigation revealed that Pradhan was acting as a middleman for Mohapatra and was collecting bribes from contractors and others on his behalf. It was also discovered that Pradhan had transferred more than Rs 1 crore to Mohapatra's account from 2019 to 2024. This evidence shows the extent of corruption and bribery in this case.
Upon searching the residences of Mohapatra and his associates, the Vigilance officers found evidence of their illegal activities. They discovered multiple bank accounts, insurance deposits, and valuable assets, including a triple-storeyed residential building, land plots, gold jewellery, and vehicles. The total value of these assets amounted to more than Rs 29.08 lakh. The biggest shock, however, was the cash amount of Rs 2,08,92,850 that was found during the house searches. This is one of the largest cash seizures in the history of the State Vigilance.
The Vigilance officials suspect that Mohapatra and his colleagues were embezzling government funds by falsely showing completed work and making payments to fake labour accounts. They believe that the labourers' bank accounts were being operated by the accused to facilitate the withdrawal and misappropriation of funds. A separate inquiry has been launched to investigate this matter, and files related to the work completed in the last two years have been brought for scrutiny.
This case has been under the radar of the Vigilance Department for some time now, and they have been conducting house searches at various locations, including Malkangiri, Cuttack, and Bhubaneswar. The searches have been ongoing for the last three days, and the amount of wealth and assets seized during this time is staggering. It is a wake-up call for the authorities to take strict action against corruption and ensure that justice is served.
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