Bhubaneswar: The Deputy Director & Project Director of Watershed department in Malkangiri, Santanu Mohapatra, was arrested by Odisha Vigilance on Friday for possessing disproportionate assets.

The Vigilance officials also arrested Sanatanu’s four associates -- Assistant Agriculture Engineer Mohan Mandal, Data Entry Operator Biswajit Mandal, contractual staff Amiyakanta Sahu and Alekh Pradhan for embezzlement of government money.

During search operations, the Vigilance department found over Rs 2 crore in cash, deposits worth Rs 91 lakh, gold jewellery weighing 422 grams, four flats and a building from the possession of Santanu Mohapatra.

“The officer and his colleagues are suspected of misappropriating government funds by falsely reporting completed work and making payments to labour accounts, which were then withdrawn and stolen,” a Vigilance official said.