The Vigilance police on Tuesday arrested a Senior Clerk-cum-Cashier of Nayagarh district for allegedly accepting bribe to pass an arrear bill for construction works.
As per a Vigilance release, Nigamananda Bhuyan working at the Minor Irrigation Division, Nayagarh, was caught red-handed by Vigilance officers for demanding and accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 13,500 from contractor Jugal Kishore Parida.
Bhuyan was demanding the bribe to release Parida’s arrear bill amounting to Rs 1,89,611 for construction of the Singhapada and Kendua check dams during the year-2017-18 and to process the file for release of a further bill of Rs 14,000 towards construction of the Aripada check dam during 2018-19.
Following a complaint filed by Parida, the Vigilance laid a trap and seized the bribe money from Bhuyan’s office room. Vigilance officials also searched his Government quarter at Nayagarh.
Bhuyan was arrested and forwarded to court.
In another case, the Vigilance raided the flats, office and houses of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation’s (OFDC) Angul Divisional Manager Maheswar Pradhan on the charge of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Pradhan was arrested.
During the course of search and inventory, Pradhan was found in possession of assets worth Rs 2,65,31,127 including two double-storied buildings, a single-storied building, a petrol pump, three plots of land, a four-wheeler, a two-wheeler, deposits in different banks, gold and silver ornaments, cash of about Rs 2 lakh and household articles.
Further investigation into his assets was on, said the release.