Odisha Vigilance on Thursday intercepted and arrested Muralidhar Urmal, OAS, Tahasildar-cum-Sub-Registrar of Lathikata in Sundaragada district, after recovering suspected ill-gotten cash of Rs 5 lakh from his possession.
He was produced before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Sundaragada, on Friday. A case (Rourkela Vigilance PS Case No. 9 dated 20.08.2026) has been registered against him under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
According to Vigilance officials, Urmal was intercepted near Rajabasa Chhak, Lathikata, while travelling in a hired office Scorpio vehicle (OD-14AL-1327) from his office to his residence in Raurkela. The cash of Rs 5 lakh found with him could not be satisfactorily accounted for and was seized along with the vehicle.
Following the interception, simultaneous searches were conducted at his residential building in Civil Township (E-43), Rourkela; his native house in Village Karamdihi under Sundaragada Sadar police station; and his office chamber at Lathikata Tahasil.
During the searches, additional cash of Rs 5.83 lakh was recovered, taking the total cash seizure to Rs 10.83 lakh. Other assets unearthed in the name of Urmal and his family members include:
- Gold jewellery weighing 606 grams and silver ornaments weighing 635 grams
- Bank, postal and insurance deposits amounting to Rs 75.31 lakh
- One double-storeyed building measuring approximately 3,700 sq ft at Karamdihi, Sundaragada
- Six high-value plots on the outskirts of Sundargarh town
- One four-wheeler (Hyundai Grand i10 Sports) and three two-wheelers
