Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance officials on Friday caught Sanghamitra Pattanayak, Assistant Engineer (AE) of Balianta Block, Bhubaneswar, and his associate Benudhara Parida, a private person, while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a contractor.
According to an official press release, the contractor had requested Pattanayak to clear his pending amount of Rs 42,000, but Pattanayak demanded a bribe to release the payment.
The Vigilance officials nabbed Pattanayak and Parida red-handed while accepting the bribe. The entire bribe amount has been recovered and seized.
Simultaneous searches are being conducted at two locations connected to Pattanayak. A case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and an investigation is underway.
