CBI arrests Mahanadi Coalfields Chief Manager, accused sent to 14-day judicial custody

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) Chief Manager on Thursday afternoon. The CBI team took him to its Bhubaneswar office for questioning, and the accused was later sent to jail on a 14-day judicial custody.

According to sources, the arrest was done after the senior official from Sundargarh’s Basundhara area was caught red-handed by the CBI while taking the bribe.

Sources informed that Verma had demanded a bribe of Rs 30,000 in connection with work worth Rs 11 lakh. He reportedly agreed to accept Rs 20,000 after negotiations.

It is learned that CBI officials caught him while he was taking the Rs 20,000 bribe, leading to his immediate detention

Next Hearing On July 19

"It was alleged that the accused Chief Manager (Mining), Mahanadi Coal Limited (MCL), demanded a bribe of Rs.30,000/- from the complainant for facilitating the release of compensation fund amount of Rs.11,37,595/- in favour of the relative of the complainant, the beneficiary, payable in connection with acquisition of land. After negotiation, the accused agreed to accept bribe of Rs. 20,000/- from the complainant," said the CBI in a release.

The court ordered him to be remanded in judicial custody till July 19. The next hearing on his bail application is scheduled for July 19. The CBI continues its investigation into possible links and further irregularities in the case.

Crackdown in Odisha

In another notable crackdown in Odisha in June 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation had nabbed an official of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a company representative in Berhampur.

According to reliable sources, the EPFO officer was caught in the act while demanding and accepting a bribe in exchange for providing a digital signature, a key requirement for processing official documentation for companies under the EPFO framework.

The officer had allegedly invited the representative of a private company to a hotel located in the Lanjipalli area of Berhampur. It was during this meeting, held under the pretext of completing official work, that the officer accepted the bribe money. Unbeknownst to him, the CBI had laid a trap following a formal complaint filed by the company.