“During interception, cash of ₹5,51,510 (suspected ill-gotten cash) in 52 envelopes and 20 loose bundles was found from their possession, which they could not explain satisfactorily,” said the Vigilance Department in a release on September 11, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Vigilance sleuths in Odisha have come across a bizarre way of demanding a bribe: ₹10 per student in government-run residential schools, to regularise any discrepancies in accounts of schools.
The Vigilance department has seized a total cash amount of ₹14,38,340, consisting of notes of different denominations kept in envelopes and rolled in bundles, from two auditors who were on official assignments to audit residential schools run by the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development department of the Odisha government.
Acting on credible input late at night on Thursday (September 10, 2026), two auditors from the ST and SC Development department of the Odisha government, while on their way from the District Welfare Officer’s office, Baripada, to their hotel after completing audit work, were intercepted by Odisha Vigilance.
“During interception, cash of ₹5,51,510 (suspected ill-gotten cash) in 52 envelopes and 20 loose bundles was found from their possession, which they could not explain satisfactorily,” said the Vigilance Department in a release on Friday (September 11, 2026).
“Following this search was conducted at their hotel rooms. During the search, an additional cash amount of ₹8,86,830 was unearthed and seized. As they couldn’t account for this huge cash, the total cash of ₹14,38,340 has been seized,” said Vigilance officials.
“The auditor duo was at Baripada since August 30, 2026, for conducting an audit of the DWO Office, Baripada. Following this, they had taken up the audit of hostels of residential schools. They had directed headmasters and in-charges to report at Baripada, the district headquarters town of Mayurbhanj, along with school and hostel files and registers,” officials informed.
“Allegations had been received by Vigilance authorities that demanded payment of Rs 10 per enrolled student from school and hostel authorities as a bribe to ensure a smooth audit of their schools. After confirming the allegation, they were intercepted,” the Vigilance Department said.
Now, the case has been converted into disproportionate asset cases, with vigilance sleuths conducting raids at their residential and office addresses to ascertain the properties amassed by the auditors.
Published – September 11, 2026 12:17 pm IST
