Vigilance sleuths on Wednesday arrested Horticulture Extension Worker Srimanta Digal working in the office of Assistant Director of Horticulture, Balliguda in Kandhamal district while accepting a bribe of `6,000 from a native of village Sikabadi under the Brahmanigaon police station in the district to release subsidy money.
The gist of the case is that complainant Tapan Pradhan and others have mango plantation and submitted application for subsidy to the Government for barbed wire fencing around the plantation. In the meantime, accused Digal demanded `6,000 as bribe to release the subsidy money.
Accordingly, a trap was laid and Digal was caught red-handed in his office, while accepting the bribe from Pradhan. The accused has been arrested and will be forwarded to the court. His residential house at Tikabali is being searched.
In another case, Senior Clerk of Kukudakhandi Tehsil office in Ganjam district Akhaya Kumar Padhi was arrested by Vigilance officials for demanding and accepting bribe of `1,000 from complainant Bibhu Prasad Tripathy of village Sakti Nagar under the Brahmapur Sadar police station for preparing an arrear bill. Padhi has been arrested and will be forwarded to the court. His residential house at Brahmapur is being searched.