Bhubaneswar: In a major anti-corruption drive, the Odisha Vigilance today caught Srikanta Kumar Dash, Junior Assistant in the District Education Office (DEO) in Bhadrak, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000.
According to the Vigilance report, Dash was demanding and accepting the bribe from a functionary of a private school to process the file for issuance of a Recognition Certificate in favour of the school. Despite repeated requests by the school representative to process the file without bribe, Dash allegedly insisted on receiving Rs 10,000. Left with no option, the school functionary lodged a complaint with the Vigilance authorities.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and apprehended Dash today while he was accepting the bribe amount. The entire bribe money of Rs 10,000 was recovered from his possession and seized.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches are being conducted at two locations linked to the accused from the disproportionate assets (DA) angle. In this connection, Balasore Vigilance Police registered a case against Dash under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Further investigation is underway.
