Odisha Vigilance Nabs BEO For Bribery, Rs 11.92 Lakh Cash Seized During House Raids

Dhenkanal: A Block Education Officer (BEO) was apprehended by anti-orruption Vigilance sleuths for allegedly taking Rs 10,000 bribe from a teacher to release his pending arrear salary in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Tuesday.

Acting on a complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap and caught Santanu Kumar Mallik, BEO of Hindol in the district, while  demanding and accepting Rs 10,000 as bribe to release arrear salary of the teacher pending on official ground.

The entire bribe money of Rs 10,000 has been recovered and seized from exclusive possession of the accused, Vigilance said in a press release.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches are being carried out at three locations of Mallik from Disproportionate Assets angle.

During house searches so far, cash amounting to Rs 11.92 lakh was seized from two locations of the accused BEO. While Rs 11,10,370 was recovered during search at his Bhadrak house, Rs 82,000 was seized from Mallik’s Hindol residence, it said, adding that searches are continuing.

This apart, one double-storey building at Kuansh, Bhadrak town, 3 plots in an around Bhadrak town, bank & insurance deposits worth over Rs 10 lakh were unearthed. A car and a two-wheeler were also found.

A case has been registered under Prevention of Corruption   (Amendment) Act, 2018 and investigation is in progress. Further details are awaited.