Rourkela, Sept 12: Odisha Vigilance has intercepted a vehicle carrying ₹5 lakh in cash allegedly linked to Dhaneswar Barad, Superintendent of Excise, Rourkela, in a suspected corruption case.
According to the Vigilance department, it had received reliable information that Barad had allegedly collected substantial bribe money from excise licensees. Acting on the information, Vigilance officials kept a close watch on his movements.
During the operation, Barad allegedly sent ₹5 lakh through a salesman of a local wine shop in a Scorpio bearing registration number OD-14AD-1314. The vehicle was intercepted in front of the Excise Superintendent’s Office at Uditnagar, Rourkela, in the presence of witnesses.
Vigilance officials recovered ₹5 lakh in cash from the vehicle and seized the money.
During questioning, the salesman reportedly told the Vigilance team that the cash had been handed over to him by Excise Superintendent Barad for delivery to Barad’s residence. When confronted, Barad also reportedly admitted that the money had been sent through the salesman.
However, according to the Vigilance release, Barad failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the source of the ₹5 lakh cash.
Following the seizure, Rourkela Vigilance Police Station Case No. 12 dated September 11, 2026, was registered under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018.
Vigilance officials have also launched searches at Barad’s office and residential premises from a disproportionate assets (DA) angle.
The investigation is underway to establish the source of the cash and examine the allegations against the Excise Superintendent.
