Bhubaneswar: A former staffer attached to the office of the Revenue Inspector, Balandapada under Phiringia Tahasil in Kandhamal district, was on Monday sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a bribery case by the Special Judge (Vigilance), Phulbani.
The convicted official, Ajaya Kumar Mallick, an ex-staffer of Phiringia Tahasil, was also directed by the court to pay a fine of ₹20,000 after being found guilty of demanding and accepting a bribe from a farmer.
According to prosecution records, Mallick was charge-sheeted by Odisha Vigilance in Berhampur Vigilance Police Station Case No. 15 dated August 22, 2023 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
The case pertained to Mallick demanding and taking a bribe of ₹8,000 from a farmer in exchange for facilitating the mutation of ancestral land and issuance of Record of Rights (RoR/Patta) in favour of the complainant and other legal heirs.
After completion of the trial, the Special Judge, Vigilance, Phulbani held the accused guilty and awarded the sentence on January 13, 2026.
Following the conviction, Odisha Vigilance has stated that it will now move the competent authority for dismissal of Ajaya Kumar Mallick from government service, in accordance with rules governing disciplinary action after conviction in corruption cases.
Officials said the conviction reinforces the Vigilance Directorate’s continued crackdown on corruption in land administration and public service delivery, particularly in cases involving exploitation of farmers.
