Odisha couple detained by Vigilance for accepting bribe; probe on

Odisha Vigilance detained a couple for allegedly accepting a Rs 5,000 bribe from PMAY beneficiaries in Bargarh district. The couple's detention follows complaints from beneficiaries, with investigations and searches still underway.

Odisha couple detained by Vigilance for accepting bribe; probe on

Detained PEO of Gyan panchayat, Nupur Seth

time

In a crackdown on corruption, a woman and her husband were detained by Odisha Vigilance sleuths for allegedly accepting bribe at Padampur in Bargarh district on Tuesday.

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Nupur Seth, serving as an executive officer (PEO) at Gyan panchayat, and her husband, Bed Prakash Biswal, are alleged to have demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs 5,000. The couple purportedly sought this sum from Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) beneficiaries, a central government initiative intended to provide affordable housing for economically disadvantaged people.

Vigilance sleuths recovered and seized the entire bribe money and are currently quizzing the couple as part of ongoing investigations.

Couple caught red-handed

“Some beneficiaries complained before the Vigilance department and based on their allegation, a trap was laid leading to the seizure of bribe money. The couple was caught red-handed. A detailed probe is underway and the couple is being questioned,” a senior official said.

“The PEO was accepting bribe through her husband. Following the detention, simultaneous searches are being carried out by separate teams of Vigilance at places associated with the couple,” the senior official further said.

Earlier in another incident, Vigilance sleuths conducted simultaneous raids at 10 different locations linked to Surjyamani Pattajoshi, Executive Officer of Jatni Municipality in Khordha, over allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his legal sources of income.

Simultaneous searches were carried out based on warrants issued by the Special Vigilance Judge, Bhubaneswar. Bundles of Rs 500 notes were recovered during the raid.

Must Read: Odisha Vigilance seizes Rs 2.06 crore in cash, 422 grams of gold from govt officer

Separate teams comprising nine Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), four Inspectors, 13 Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs), and other supporting staff conducted the searches at multiple locations in Bhubaneswar, Jatni, Berhampur, and Ganjam.

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