Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance Directorate has intensified its crackdown on corruption, registering 302 criminal cases and arresting 303 government officials and others between June 12, 2024, and October 27, 2025. The agency unearthed disproportionate assets (DA) worth ₹212 crore during this period, with major recoveries including gold, luxury properties, and crores in cash.
Among the accused are 90 Class-I officers, including an IAS officer, seven Chief Engineers, a Joint Commissioner of Excise, a Deputy Director of Mines, a Divisional Forest Officer, and several Tahasildars, BDOs, and police officials.
The Vigilance registered 80 DA cases, 136 trap cases, and 86 misappropriation cases, exposing large-scale embezzlement and bribery networks across departments such as Rural Development, Forest, Revenue, and Public Works.
Major Recoveries and Arrests
The highest cash seizure—₹2.56 crore—was made during raids on Chief Engineer (Plan Roads) Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, while Project Director (Watershed) Santanu Mohapatra and Deputy Ranger Rama Chandra Nepak were found possessing cash exceeding ₹2 crore and ₹1.4 crore respectively.
In another high-profile case, IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh, was caught red-handed taking a ₹10 lakh bribe, with a further ₹47 lakh recovered from his official residence.
Gold weighing 24 kg, 832 plots, 84 acres of land, and eight farmhouses were also unearthed from various accused.
Strong Prosecution and Convictions
During this period, the Vigilance Directorate secured 132 convictions, achieving an overall conviction rate of around 50%, and an impressive 80% conviction rate in DA cases.
Following convictions, 30 government employees were dismissed, and pensions of 68 retired officials were stopped.
The Directorate also froze 1,478 bank accounts, conducted 739 searches, and evaluated 403 buildings worth approximately ₹58.5 crore during investigations.
Preventive Vigilance and Training
The State Vigilance Academy trained 1,175 officers from IAS, IPS, OPS, and other state services on anti-corruption laws, preventive vigilance, and good governance. The Forest Wing of Vigilance also conducted 128 joint raids, seizing timber and equipment worth over ₹6 crore.
The Vigilance Directorate emphasized that these achievements reflect the state’s zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, aligning with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s call for clean governance during the ongoing Vigilance Awareness Week 2025.
