Junior Engineer Benudhar Sahoo, working on Cuttack-Paradeep railway line, was caught red-handed by CBI sleuths while receiving Rs 8,000 bribe from a farmer in Biridi on Wednesday.
Benudhar Khuntia was cultivating paddy in a railway department-occupied land near the Badakhandeita passenger halt near Biridi since 1972. The department had given him a lease for 20 years for using the land for agriculture purposes. After the term expired in 1991, the department denied its renewal, but Khuntia continued possession of the land.
Taking pleas that Khuntia unlawfully possessed the land, JE Sahoo asked him to give Rs 8,000 to renew his control over the land. Khuntia declined to oblige and approached the CBI office in Bhubaneswar.
Acting on Khuntia’s information, CBI sleuths reached the Raghunathpur station and picked up Sahoo while receiving Rs 8,000 from the complainant.