The Odisha Vigilance Directorate arrested irrigation superintending engineer Prasanjit Das after a nine-hour operation in Bhubaneswar led to the recovery of Rs 21.98 lakh in cash allegedly collected as bribes from contractors, according to officials cited in the case. The seizure has triggered searches into the source of the money and its possible connection with contract-related irrigation works.
The operation began at about 2 pm on Friday after vigilance officials received specific information that Das had summoned contractors to the Jagatpur irrigation inspection bungalow in Cuttack and collected illegal gratification from them. Teams were deployed across Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to monitor his movements.
Officials said Das repeatedly changed locations, vehicles and meeting arrangements during the evening, making it difficult for the teams to track him. Investigators eventually traced his mobile phone near Delta Square in Bhubaneswar and located him at the Delta Irrigation Inspection Bungalow, where he was attending a dinner gathering.
Two vigilance officers in plain clothes entered the premises and mingled with the guests while maintaining surveillance, officials said. After the gathering ended, Das reportedly left in his official vehicle to meet another contractor. Vigilance teams followed the vehicle and intercepted it near AG Square at around 10.30 pm.
A search of Das’s possession allegedly resulted in the recovery of Rs 7.38 lakh. The money is suspected by investigators to have been collected as illegal gratification from contractors. Das was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case.
At the same time, another vigilance team went to Das’s apartment in Ghatikia, around 10 km from the interception point, and placed the residence under surveillance. Officials had received inputs that additional cash could be stored there. After confirming the recovery from Das, the team searched the apartment and seized a further Rs 14.6 lakh.
The combined seizure amounted to Rs 21.98 lakh. Odisha Vigilance subsequently began simultaneous searches at multiple locations linked to the engineer as part of its investigation. The searches are intended to establish the source of the cash and determine whether it is connected to alleged corruption in contract-related irrigation works.
The case places scrutiny on the administrative processes through which irrigation contracts are handled and supervised. The report does not establish whether the seized money was linked to any specific contract, contractor or payment decision. Those details are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation.
The investigation will also determine the legal and departmental action to be taken against Das based on the evidence collected during the searches and the alleged bribe recovery. The authorities have not disclosed further details about the contractors involved or the specific irrigation projects under examination.
