Odisha Vigilance Uncovers Rs 9.24 Crore Fraud by Clerical Staff in Engineer's Office
Odisha Vigilance Directorate uncovered a Rs 9.24 crore fraud involving clerical staff at the Superintending Engineer's office in Bhubaneswar. Officials Banalata Mohanty and Bibhudutta Nayak allegedly conspired to create fake sanction orders and bills for provisional gratuity and unutilized leave salary, diverting funds to 77 bank accounts linked to their relatives and associates. Rs 3.96 crore has been recovered, and a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act is ongoing with further investigation underway.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is negative (27/100). Lens Score 57/100.
Outlets measured: thehindu, news18. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (22–32/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
news18 broke this story on 26 Sept, 05:02 pm. Other outlets followed.
- 1news1826 Sept, 05:02 pmOdisha Vigilance arrests two officials for diverting Rs 9.24 crore public funds
- 2thehindu27 Sept, 09:06 amOdisha vigilance unearths govt fund of 9.24 crore siphoned off by clerical staff
Accountability flags
TBN's analysis identified the following accountability dimensions in this story.
- financial irregularity
This story involves alleged financial misconduct — unexplained transactions, procurement irregularities, or misuse of public/shareholder funds.
Who's involved
Institutions and figures named across source coverage.
Story context
- Category
- Crime
- Location
- Odisha, India
- Sources analysed
- 2
- Last analysed
- 27 Sept 2026
- Key entities
- OdishaEmbezzlementCroreIndian rupeeThanjavur Nayak kingdomRhythm and bluesFiscal yearBhubaneswarGratuityFraudCriminal conspiracyIndependent politician