Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance has apprehended a peon working in the Office of the Special Treasury in Jeypore of Koraput district. Harischandra Mohapatra was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 47,000 from a widow.
The bribe was allegedly demanded by Mohapatra to facilitate the release of arrear pension amounting to Rs. 3,48,000 to the widow of a deceased government employee. The peon had earlier received Rs. 40,000 as the first installment of the bribe and was putting pressure on the complainant to pay the remaining amount.
A case has been registered against Mohapatra under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and an investigation is underway to probe into the disproportionate assets of the accused. The entire bribe amount of Rs. 47,000 has been recovered from Mohapatra’s possession and seized. Simultaneous searches are being conducted at two locations of the accused’s premises from a disproportionate assets angle.
