In A First In Odisha, Vigilance Arrests 2 TPCODL Officials For Taking Bribe On PhonePe

Bhubaneswar: In the first case of receiving bribe though digital payment in Odisha, Vigilance arrested two officials of TPCODL in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

The Vigilance had received a complaint that Tarun Ranjan Nayak, OAG-III in the office of GRF, TPCODL, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar was demanding bribe of Rs 10,000 for processing his grievance application for new electricity connection to his residence.

The complainant stated that when he approached Nayak for the electricity connection on, the latter demanded the bribe to be paid through PhonePe to register a case at GRF/Ombudsman TPCODL and assured of issuing favourable orders.

Finding no other alternative, the complainant reported the matter to the Vigilance and paid the demanded bribe in the given PhonePe number of his associate Sailaja Muduli. Thereafter, Nayak received the grievance application from the complainant and was nabbed by the Vigilance team.

Both Nayak and Sailaja were arrested by the Vigilance which suspected that Nayak was habitually taking bribe on PhonePe through Sailaja.

Bhubaneswar Vigilance has registered a case under PC Amendment Act, 2018 in this connection. Both the accused will be forwarded to court, said the Vigilance in a release.