---
title: "₹10 Per Student Bribe: Two ST & SC Department Auditors Caught with ₹14.38 Lakh Cash in Odisha"
url: https://mediathepower.com/%e2%82%b910-per-student-bribe-two-st-sc-department-auditors-caught-with-%e2%82%b914-38-lakh-cash-in-odisha/
date: 2026-09-11
modified: 2026-09-11
lang: en
author: "Rajiv Singh"
description: "ODISHA- Two state government auditors have been detained by the Odisha Vigilance department in Baripada after being caught with ₹14.38 lakh in unaccounted cash, officials confirmed on Friday [Sept 11,..."
categories:
  - "State"
image: https://mediathepower.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/raid1.jpg
word_count: 311
---

# ₹10 Per Student Bribe: Two ST & SC Department Auditors Caught with ₹14.38 Lakh Cash in Odisha

ODISHA- **Two state government auditors have been detained** by the Odisha Vigilance department in Baripada after being caught with **₹14.38 lakh in unaccounted cash**, officials confirmed on Friday [Sept 11, 2026]. The auditors, belonging to the state’s ST and SC Development Department, allegedly collected the money as bribes from local school authorities by demanding a fixed cut of **₹10 per enrolled student** to clear their audits

Acting on a tip-off, Vigilance sleuths intercepted the auditors late on Thursday night (September 10) while they were returning from the District Welfare Officer (DWO) office to their transit accommodation at the Mahapatra Hotel.

The operation unfolded in two phases:

- **Vehicle Search:** Officials intercepted the auditors inside a government-issued Mahindra Scorpio and recovered **₹5,51,510** stashed in 52 envelopes and 20 loose bundles.

- **Hotel Room Raid:** A subsequent search of their room at the Mahapatra Hotel in Roxy Lane yielded an additional **₹8,86,830** in cash.

- The official failed to provide any satisfactory explanation or legitimate source for the total accumulated cash of **₹14,38,340**, leading to its immediate seizure.

The duo had been stationed in Baripada since August 30 to conduct a comprehensive audit of the DWO office and its affiliate institutions—including Ashram schools, Sevashram schools, high schools, higher secondary schools, and SSD hostels.

According to Vigilance sources, the auditors had ordered headmasters and hostel wardens to report to Baripada with their official registers and files. Intelligence units verified complaints that the auditors were systematically demanding a bribe of ₹10 per student from the school heads to facilitate and clear the audit process.

The two auditors are currently undergoing intensive custodial interrogation to trace the exact origin of the funds and identify any co-conspirators.

Simultaneously, the Vigilance department has launched coordinated raids at multiple properties and locations linked to both individuals to investigate a potential **disproportionate assets (DA)** angle. Further legal action and formal arrests are expected.