Vigilance officials seized Rs 28.7 lakh in cash from Ambika Prasad Rath, an auditor at the Regional Director of Education (RDE) office, during raids linked to a bribery case.Rath was arrested on Tuesday after demanding and accepting a Rs 4,000 bribe from a college staffer. The bribe was sought for verifying service records and correcting pay fixation statements under the MACP scheme. Vigilance sleuths trapped him in his office and recovered the entire bribe amount.Subsequent searches at Rath’s residence and office uncovered Rs 28,70,900 in cash. Officials said the recovery points to larger irregularities, and investigations are underway to trace the source of the seized money.A case has been registered against Rath under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The case is listed as Bhubaneswar Vigilance PS Case No. 4 dated March 24, 2026.Authorities confirmed that the investigation will examine Rath’s financial records, assets, and possible links to other irregularities. Vigilance officials said the arrest demonstrates their commitment to tackling corruption in government offices.
