TV
In a major crackdown on corruption, the Odisha Vigilance on Friday apprehended Aswini Kumar Panda, OAS, Tehsildar of Bamra in Sambalpur district, while the official was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a complainant.
According to official sources, Panda had demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 for the conversion of agricultural land into homestead land in a mutation case. When the complainant expressed an inability to pay such a large sum, the demand was reduced to Rs 15,000.
Under pressure and threat that the conversion would not be allowed otherwise, the complainant approached the Vigilance authorities.
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Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Panda red-handed while accepting the bribe amount of Rs 15,000 through his office driver, Sri P. Praveen Kumar, who has also been taken into custody. The entire tainted amount was recovered and seized.
Following the operation, simultaneous searches are being carried out at three locations linked to Panda on the disproportionate assets (DA) angle.
In this connection, Sambalpur Vigilance P.S. Case No.17 dated 11.09.2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered. Investigation against both accused persons is underway.
