Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance arrested Madan Mohan Pradhan, an ASI at Lahunipada police station, along with his associate, Mandeep Kumar Dasmodak, late Saturday night on charges of accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from an eatery owner.
According to a Vigilance release, the bribe was solicited to spare the eatery owner from arrest and to provide assistance in an Excise case registered against him and his younger brother. The police officer reportedly threatened the complainant with immediate arrest and prosecution if the demanded sum was not paid. Left with no alternative, the eatery owner reported the extortion attempt to the Vigilance authorities.
Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap late on the night of August 29, catching ASI Pradhan and Dasmodak red-handed while accepting the money. Officers recovered and seized the entire bribe amount of ₹20,000 on the spot in the presence of independent witnesses.
Following the operation, simultaneous searches were carried out at Pradhan’s official quarter at Lahunipada, his office, and his ancestral residence located in Mahuldiha village under Mahulpada police limits in Sundaragada district.
“Both accused individuals have been taken into custody and are scheduled to be forwarded to court today. A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigation is underway,” the release added.
