The Odisha Vigilance on Saturday (October 17, 2026) arrested a Superintending Engineer after seizing unaccounted cash worth ₹21.88 lakh from him amid allegations that he collected bribes from contractors, the agency said.

Prasanjit Das, Superintending Engineer of the Mahanadi Northern Division at Jagatpur in Kataka, was intercepted near AG Square in Bhubaneswar on Friday night. Vigilance officials seized ₹7.28 lakh from his possession, followed by another ₹14.60 lakh during a search of his rented flat at Trident Galaxy Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar, the Directorate of Vigilance said. The agency said Mr. Das could not provide a satisfactory explanation for possessing ₹21.88 lakh.

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According to a vigilance officer, the agency had a tip-off that Mr. Das had summoned contractors to the irrigation inspection bungalow in Jagatpur and collected bribes from them. Vigilance teams subsequently monitored his movements in Kataka and Bhubaneswar.

“However, the accused kept changing his location, making it difficult for the teams to track him. Later, using mobile phone tracking, the officials eventually traced him to the Delta Irrigation inspection bungalow in Bhubaneswar, where he was attending a feast,” the officer said.

“He (Das) had also changed his hired vehicle by then. Two Vigilance sleuths in plain clothes entered the premises and kept a watch on him. Following the party, the accused engineer switched to his official vehicle and set out to meet another contractor. The Vigilance team intercepted him near AG Square and searched him, recovering the cash,” he said. The agency also conducted a simultaneous search at his paternal home in Bargarh district.

According to the investigation, Mr. Das joined government service in 2016 as an Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil), with an initial monthly salary of approximately ₹25,000. He was promoted to Executive Engineer in 2022 and to Superintending Engineer in 2026.