Odisha STA Joint Commissioner Arrested by Vigilance in DA Case

Bhubaneswar : The Odisha Vigilance Department has arrested Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, Joint Commissioner of the State Transport Authority (STA), on charges of possessing disproportionate assets (DA) worth 143 percent more than his known sources of income. He was produced before the Special Judge, Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

According to Vigilance sources, a case has been registered against Mohanty, his spouse, and a relative under sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(b)/12 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation revealed substantial undeclared assets in his name, prompting further legal action.

During extensive house searches, Vigilance officials unearthed significant wealth linked to Mohanty. This included a triple-storeyed residential building spanning approximately 2,400 square feet at Maitri Vihar, Bhubaneswar. Additionally, an advance payment of approximately Rs. 1 crore was traced to a real estate transaction for a 4-BHK flat in the 9 Boulevard apartment complex at Raghunathpur, Bhubaneswar, jointly registered under Mohanty and his spouse.

Further investigations uncovered a triple-storeyed under-construction building covering about 7,500 square feet at Balukhand, Puri, suspected to be a benami property. A farmhouse spanning 14.78 decimal at Kusupalla, Nayagarh, and eleven high-value plots in Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Ranapur, and Nayagarh were also seized. Authorities also discovered a large agricultural land measuring 11.08 decimal in Mohanty’s possession.

During the search operation, Vigilance officials confiscated cash amounting to Rs. 17.55 lakh, including 26 notes of Rs. 2,000 denomination. In addition, three gold biscuits weighing 100 grams each and gold ornaments totaling 2.1 kg were recovered.

Bank deposits and household valuables amounting to Rs. 27.25 lakh were also unearthed, further substantiating the allegations against Mohanty. After thorough searches, inventory checks, and verification, Vigilance officials confirmed that his disproportionate assets exceeded 143 percent of his legal income.

The Vigilance Department continues its probe into the matter to ascertain further financial irregularities and identify potential benami transactions linked to the case.