TV
A major bribery case has surfaced in Paralakhemundi locality of Gajapati district, where a senior clerk and a peon from the CDMO office were caught red-handed by Odisha Vigilance team while accepting Rs 25,000 on Wednesday.
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According to sources, in a fresh crackdown on corruption, a Vigilance team nabbed senior clerk Jagdish Pattnaik and peon Niranjan Nayak from the Chief District Medical Officer's (CDMO's) office in Paralakhemundi. The accused duo was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000. The bribe was allegedly taken for issuing an appointment letter.
The bribe was allegedly demanded in exchange for an appointment letter issued in favour of a contractual doctor. Based on a written complaint, the Vigilance team laid a trap and caught both the clerk and the peon while the transaction was taking place.
Following the arrest, simultaneous raids were conducted at Jagadish Pattnaik’s office room and government residence. Vigilance is now examining the documents seized during the house search. Valuation of the seized assets has not been ascertained yet.
The probe is going on, and further legal action will follow as per anti-corruption laws.
“Accused duo did not entertain the request of the complainant to hand over the appointment letter as the same had already been approved by the competent authority. Rather, the duo demanded a bribe of Rs 25,000 to issue an appointment letter in his favour. The Complainant, being a young doctor, being aggrieved at the harassment, approached the Vigilance authorities, narrating the matter,” a press release issued by Odisha Vigilance mentioned.
“Entire tainted bribe money has been recovered from both the accused persons, Pattnaik and Nayak and seized. Following the trap, simultaneous searches are underway at two different locations linked to the senior clerk from the DA angle,” the communiqué stated.
A Berhampur Vigilance PS case (No.-12, Dated: 12.08.2025, U/s 7 of the P.C (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered in this connection against the accused duo.
Reported By: Adarsh Das
