TV
In a major crackdown on corruption, Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended two government officials—Manoj Kumar Behera, Revenue Inspector (RI), and Bichitrananda Satpathy, Amin—of Kandarpur Revenue Circle, Cuttack district, while they were caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 12,000 from a local shop owner.
According to official sources, the duo had been demanding the bribe in exchange for furnishing a favourable report in a mutation case involving the conversion of agricultural land to homestead land and for the issuance of a Record of Rights (RoR/Patta) in favour of the complainant.
The complainant had allegedly been requesting the officials for over a month to process his application. However, the officials persistently demanded a bribe to take action on the matter. With no recourse left, the shop owner approached the Vigilance Department.
Acting on the complaint, Vigilance sleuths laid a trap and caught both officials in the act near the revenue office at Kandarpur while accepting the bribe amount. The entire bribe money of Rs 12,000 was recovered from their possession and seized as evidence.
Following the successful operation, Vigilance teams conducted simultaneous searches at three locations associated with RI Sri Behera and two premises linked to Amin Sri Satpathy to investigate any disproportionate assets.
A case has been registered under Cuttack Vigilance PS Case No.17/2025, U/s 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway.
