Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Friday apprehended Bharata Bhusan Mishra, Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) of Bhatimunda Gram Panchayat under Tangi-Choudwar Block in Cuttack district, while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹5,000 from a mechanic.
According to official sources, Mishra had demanded the bribe from the complainant in exchange for releasing his pending arrear salary and facilitating an extension of his service. The mechanic, who works under Bhatimunda Gram Panchayat, reportedly approached Vigilance authorities after the PEO insisted on payment of the bribe.
Acting on the complaint, a team of Odisha Vigilance laid a trap and caught Mishra red-handed while he was accepting the ₹5,000 bribe. The entire tainted amount was recovered from his possession and subsequently seized.
Following the successful trap, simultaneous searches are being conducted at three locations linked to the accused officer to verify possible accumulation of disproportionate assets (DA).
In this connection, Cuttack Vigilance Police Station Case No. 8 dated 19.02.2026 has been registered against Mishra under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Investigation into the matter is currently underway.
