Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Daitari Mallik, Tahasildar of Soro in Balasore district, along with a private individual, Dayanidhi Jena, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹40,000 from a truck owner.
According to a press note issued by Vigilance authorities, Mallik had detained five trucks laden with minor minerals since February 11, 2026. The trucks were reportedly seized over alleged violations, and the Tahasildar had allegedly threatened to hand them over to the mining department for imposition of heavy penalties.
It is alleged that Mallik initially demanded ₹1 lakh from the truck owner to facilitate the release of the vehicles and to avoid further punitive action. However, after the truck owner expressed his inability to pay the amount, the bribe demand was reportedly reduced to ₹40,000 following negotiations.
Unwilling to pay the bribe, the truck owner approached the Vigilance department, which subsequently laid a trap. On February 19, 2026, a Vigilance team caught Mallik red-handed while he was accepting the bribe through his associate, Jena. The entire bribe amount of ₹40,000 was recovered from their possession and seized.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches were launched at three locations linked to the Tahasildar to examine assets from a disproportionate assets (DA) angle.
In connection with the incident, Balasore Vigilance Police Station Case No. 05/2026 has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 against Daitari Mallik and Dayanidhi Jena. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
