MALKANGIRI/JEYPORE : Vigilance officials on Wednesday unearthed stacks of cash amounting to Rs 1.97 crore from the Jeypore residence of deputy director of Malkangiri Watershed Santanu Mohapatra during simultaneous searches at seven locations linked to him.
Separate teams from Koraput Vigilance department raided Mohapatra’s residence at Jeypore, paternal house at Nuapada in Cuttack’s Balisahi, relative’s house at Bhimatangi in Bhubaneswar and his office chamber in Malkangiri.
Houses of Mohapatra’s subordinate staff - assistant agriculture engineer Mohan Mandal, data entry operator in Watershed office Biswajit Mandal and contractual staff Amiyakanta Sahu - were also searched in Malkangiri on the day. The searches are part of an investigation into allegations against Mohapatra of accumulating disproportionate assets (DA).
The seizure included Rs 1.98 crore cash, 300 gram of gold ornaments, one triple-storey building and two plots in Jeypore, two plots in Bhubaneswar, a car, two bikes besides several bank securities and insurances.
The raids are being conducted by Vigilance teams comprising two additional SPs, four deputy SPs, 10 inspectors, six assistant sub-inspectors and other supporting staff basing on the search warrants issued by Special Vigilance Judge, Jeypore. The technical wing of Vigilance is carrying out measurement and valuation of these properties.
Sources said Mohapatra was under the scanner of the Vigilance department which received a series of allegations related to his alleged illegal activities. The Watershed deputy director will be summoned to Jeypore Vigilance office on Thursday, officials informed.
Mohapatra started his career as junior soil conservation officer in Khurda district in 1995. During the last 30 years, he was posted at different places in Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri districts. Mohapatra is scheduled to retire in January 2027.
The cash recovery from Mohapatra is reportedly among the top seizures made by the Vigilance department in the last few years.