Odisha college principal in Vigilance trap while taking Rs 1L bribe for releasing arrears

In a significant anti-corruption operation, officials from Odisha's Vigilance Department apprehended Nalini Ranjan Bhuyan, the Principal of Dadhibaman Jew +3 Mahavidyalaya, Bahadajhola, Nayagarh district, on charges of bribery. 

Authorities caught Bhuyan for demanding and taking a bribe worth Rs 1 lakh from the staffer (complainant) Hrushikesh Behera of the same college. The bribe was allegedly solicited to aid in the clearance of his outstanding arrears of over Rs 5L for Hrushikesh, a librarian working at one of these institutions.

The vigilance team, acting on a tip-off, orchestrated a raid during the transaction, successfully confiscating the money involved in the operation. Based on Hrushikesh's complaint, a trap was laid, wherein the accused Bhuyan was trapped by the team of Odisha Vigilance in his residence at Manikapatna for demanding and taking the bribe.

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The entire bribe money was recovered from Bhuyan's possession and seized in the presence of witnesses. Bhuyan's left-hand wash gave a positive chemical reaction, confirming his acceptance and handling of the bribe money.

In addition to the sting operation, a thorough search was conducted at Mr Bhuyan's residence and his office at the college, further solidifying the case against him.

In this connection, Bhubaneswar Vigilance PS case no. 25/2024 U/s 7 Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered and is under investigation. 

The Vigilance Department has assured that the investigation is ongoing, and any further developments will be addressed promptly. Such operations are part of a broader initiative to curb corruption within educational institutions across the state.