Vigilance sleuths on Tuesday arrested Puri district’s Brahmagiri Forest Range Officer Sahaji Charan Biswal for demanding and accepting illegal gratification of Rs 35,000 from Niranjan Pradhan of Gola Sahi under Puri Sadar police station for facilitating timber transport permit to him.
According to the complaint, one Gurudatta Palei had planted casuarinas on his land. He had authorised complainant Pradhan to cut the trees and sale the same. Accordingly, Pradhan cut the entire casuarinas and sold 44 trips after obtaining TT permits from the ACF, Puri through accused Biswal. Pradhan again requested Biswal for issuance of TT permit for transportation of rest seven trips of casuarinas. For this, Biswal demanded Rs 35,000 to influence the ACF.
Accordingly, Vigilance sleuths laid a trap and caught the Range Officer red-handed while taking Rs 35,000 from the complainant in front of the DFO office in Puri.