Odisha Vigilance arrested Satyajit Rout, Deputy Director (Geology)-cum-Deputy Director of Mines, Jeypore, Koraput, for taking a Rs 2 lakh bribe from a leaseholder to extend a lease period and secure benefits in sand source auctions.
The Vigilance team recovered the entire bribe amount from his possession.
After the successful trap, Vigilance officers launched simultaneous searches at Rout’s residences in Lingaraj Nagar (Jeypore), Bidyadharpur (Cuttack), and Olakana (Mahanga, Cuttack). During the searches, officials unearthed Rs 2.90 lakh in additional cash from his Jeypore residence, raising the total seizure to Rs 4.90 lakh.
The operation followed a complaint from a leaseholder who alleged that Rout demanded money to facilitate post-lease benefits. Vigilance swiftly acted on the tip-off and caught him accepting the bribe.
Koraput Vigilance Police registered Case No. 14/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Investigators are examining Rout’s assets and financial records to determine the extent of disproportionate holdings.
Officials confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and further details will emerge as searches continue. The arrest underscores Odisha Vigilance’s intensified crackdown on corruption within the mining and geology departments.
