Odisha Vigilance detects bribery through PhonePe, warns bribe takers and facilitators

A day after Odisha Vigilance detected two cases wherein government officers were found taking bribe through PhonePe and ‘unnamed cheque’, the anti-corruption agency on Tuesday issued a warning to such corrupt officers.

In a tweet, the Vigilance Directorate wrote, “Odisha Vigilance is committed to take strong action against bribe takers and their facilitators. Remember, you aren't safe when taking bribe through PhonePe. We will follow the digital footprints and come after you.”

In a first-of-its-kind bribery incident via online, the Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Monday arrested Tarun Ranjan Nayak, OAG-III in the office of GRF, TPCODL, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar. Nayak had allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 from the complainant to be paid through PhonePe, in order to register a case at GRF/Ombudsman TPCODL, assuring to pass favourable orders for new electricity connection to his house.

Nayak had asked the complainant to deposit the money to the PhonePe account of his associate Sailaja Muduli.

In the second incident, the Vigilance detected a case of bribe through cheque.  As per official sources, Charles Nayak, tehsildar posted at Karanjia had demanded Rs 12 lakh from a complainant in order to release the land acquisition award of Rs 51,75,810 sanctioned in his favour.

The complainant was awarded a compensation of Rs 51,75,810 recently in lieu of the acquisition of his land by the NHAI authorities. The tehsildar demanded the bribe amount in the form of two blank cheques (without name of the payee) of Rs 10 lakh and Rs.2 lakh, in order to release the compensation cheque of the complainant.

The complainant handed over two cheques worth Rs 12,00,000 to the tehsildar keeping the name portion blank, the Vigilance said in a release.

The tehsildar in turn handed over the cheques to his associate Atthar Alli, a local contractor. Atthar Alli finally deposited the cheques in a bank with his name as the payee.