Jeypore, July 8: The Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday arrested Jeypore Deputy Director of Mines, Satyajit Rout, after allegedly catching him red-handed while accepting a ₹2 lakh bribe from a sand leaseholder in exchange for extending the lease period.

According to Vigilance officials, Raut had allegedly demanded the bribe to facilitate the renewal of the sand mining lease. Acting on a complaint filed by the leaseholder, the Vigilance Department laid a trap and apprehended the officer while he was accepting the cash.

Following the arrest, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at multiple premises linked to the accused in Jeypore, Rayagada, Bidyadharpur in Cuttack, and Olakana in Mahanga as part of an investigation into his assets.

During the searches, officials recovered ₹2.90 lakh in cash from his residence in Rayagada. By late Tuesday night, the total cash seized had risen to ₹4.90 lakh. The raids are continuing as investigators probe allegations of disproportionate assets.

Raut has also faced allegations in the past of accepting money to facilitate the illegal transportation of sand by granting unauthorized permissions. Further investigation is underway.