Niali Police Station ASI arrested by Odisha Vigilance on bribery charges

Cuttack: Odisha Vigilance arrested Niali Police Station Assistant of sub-inspector (ASI) Bijaya Kumar Bhanja while demanding and accepting bribe on Sunday.

The anti-corruption team arrested the Niali Police Station ASI after catching him red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 2000 from a complainant threatening to entangle his cousin in a case otherwise.

Yesterday, the ASI had called the complainant and allegedly asked him to pay the demanded bribe amount. Finding no other way, the complainant reported the matter to Vigilance Authority. Accordingly, Vigilance Officials nabbed Bhanja today while accepting the demanded bribe from the complainant.

The entire bribe money has been recovered from Bhanja and seized, said sources adding that following the trap, simultaneous searches are going on at two locations of the ASI from DA angle.

In this connection, Cuttack Vigilance PS case no. 4/2024 U/s-7PC Amendment Act, 2018 has been registered. Investigation is in progress against accused ASI. Detailed report follows.

Earlier on February 21, the Vigilance sleuths also apprehended one Heblet Barla, the Senior Revenue Assistant-cum-Record Keeper of Muribahal Tahasil in Balangir district.

Barla was apprehended while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 as 1st installment of the overall demand of Rs 20,000/- from a Complainant for issuance of ROR (Land Patta) in his favour in a Mutation Case.

The complainant had been requesting accused Barla to process his mutation case for a long time, as the case had been registered in the year 2019. But, Barla was refusing to do the work and demanding bribe of Rs.20,000 to do the same.

Finding no other way, the complainant informed about his harassment by Barla before Vigilance Authority. Accordingly, Vigilance Officials made a plan and nabbed the accused Barla while accepting the bribe.

The entire tainted bribe money has been recovered from the exclusive possession of Barla and seized. Following the successful trap, simultaneous searches were conducted at two locations of Barla from DA angle.