Anti-corruption drive: Odisha Vigilance nabs 3 government officials in one day

In a major anti-corruption drive, Odisha Vigilance on Friday conducted simultaneous operations in Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj, and Nayagarh, leading to the arrest of three government officials on charges of bribery and embezzlement.

District Labour Officer, Nayagarh, Caught Taking Bribe

Chittaranjan Rout, District Labour Officer (DLO), Nayagarh, was apprehended while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000 from a labourer for the issuance of labour cards in favour of him and 19 other poor workers.

According to Vigilance sources, the complainant and his colleagues were denied labour cards for nearly a year as Rout insisted on payment of the bribe. Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Rout red-handed. The entire tainted bribe money has been seized from his possession.

Also Read: Vigilance registers fresh case against Cuttack City Hospital official for embezzling Rs 1.24 Cr fund

It was further revealed that Rout was already under the Vigilance scanner for repeated allegations of demanding bribes from poor labourers. Following the trap, searches are being conducted at three locations linked to him on the disproportionate assets (DA) angle. A case under Bhubaneswar Vigilance PS Case No.19 dated 11.09.2025, U/s 7 of the PC (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered.

Panchayat Official, Mayurbhanj Nabbed for Fund Embezzlement 

In another case, Puspita Mahakud, the former Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) of Luhasila GP under Bijatola Block, District Mayurbhanj, was found to be involved in the embezzlement of Rs 5.68 lakh. The funds were meant for distribution to senior citizens under the Old Age Pension scheme.

Vigilance officials confirmed that the accused diverted the government money instead of ensuring timely distribution to beneficiaries. Further investigation is underway.

Tehsildar, Sambalpur, Trapped Taking Bribe

Earlier in the day, Vigilance sleuths also nabbed Aswini Kumar Panda, Tahasildar, Bamra, Dist-Sambalpur, while accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 for the conversion of agricultural land into homestead land in a mutation case.