Bhubaneswar, February 19 – Continuing its crackdown on corruption, the Odisha Vigilance department arrested two individuals on Thursday, including the tehsildar of Soro in the Balasore district, after he was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from a businessman.
"On Thursday, Daitari Mallik, the tehsildar of Soro, along with Dayanidhi Jena (a private individual), was apprehended by the Odisha Vigilance for receiving a bribe of Rs 40,000 from a truck owner to facilitate the release of his five trucks, which were impounded under his jurisdiction, along with their cargo of stones. Tehsildar Mallik had impounded the five trucks on February 11," a senior Vigilance official said.
The official also stated that the accused, Mallik, demanded a bribe of Rs 1,00,000 from the truck owner in order to prevent the state's Mining department from seizing the trucks and imposing a hefty penalty on him, and to facilitate the release of the trucks.
When the truck owner expressed his inability to pay such a large bribe, the accused tehsildar reduced the bribe amount to Rs 40,000 after negotiations.
Finding no other way, the truck owner filed a complaint with the Vigilance authorities regarding the incident.
Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance officials laid a trap on Thursday and apprehended tehsildar Mallik and Jena, a private individual, from his office room, on charges of taking undue advantage of Rs 40,000 from the truck owner.
The entire bribe money was recovered from the accused duo in the presence of witnesses.
Vigilance sources also noted that, following the operation, simultaneous searches were conducted on the rented residential house of the accused, Mallik, in Soro, his rental accommodation in Chandrasekharpur in BDA Colony's phase-2 in Bhubaneswar, as well as his office room.
A case has been registered in this regard at the Balasore Vigilance Police Station on February 18 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
