Rourkela: The Odisha Vigilance on Friday intercepted a vehicle and seized Rs 5 lakh in cash allegedly being sent by Rourkela Excise Superintendent Dhaneswar Barad, officials said.

According to the Vigilance, acting on reliable information that Barad had allegedly collected substantial bribe money from excise licencees, a Vigilance team kept a watch on his activities on September 11.

The team intercepted a Scorpio bearing registration number OD-14AD-1314 in front of the Excise Superintendent’s Office at Uditnagar in Rourkela in the presence of witnesses.

During the interception, Vigilance officials recovered Rs 5 lakh in cash from the vehicle. The salesman of a local wine shop allegedly carrying the money admitted that it had been given to him by Excise Superintendent Barad for delivery at his residence, the Vigilance said.

When confronted with the salesman’s statement, Barad also allegedly admitted that the cash had been sent through the salesman. He reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for possessing the Rs 5 lakh.

The cash was subsequently seized by the Vigilance team.

In connection with the case, Rourkela Vigilance Police Station Case No. 12, dated September 11, 2026, has been registered under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended.

The Vigilance has also launched searches at Barad’s office and residential premises from a disproportionate assets (DA) angle.

Further investigation into the case is underway.