Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Friday apprehended two staffers of Jaleswar Municipality in Balasore district for allegedly taking Rs 10,000 bribe from a contractor for clearing his pending bill.
The accused were identified as Braja Gopal Ghose Mohapatra, Dealing Assistant, Sanitation-cum-MIS Co-ordinator, and Ratikanta Patra, Sanitation Expert, of Jaleswar Municipality.
The two were apprehended by Vigilance officials while demanding and taking bribe of Rs 10,000 from a contractor for clearing his pending bill for the works executed under IEC activity in Jaleswar Municipality, a Vigilance statement said.
After completion of works, the complainant had been requesting Ghose Mohapatra to clear the pending bill for one and half months. But, Ghose Mohapatra and Patra were demanding bribe of Rs 10,000 to clear the pending bill. The two also threatened that unless they were paid the demanded bribe, file would not be processed for release of the amount in favour of the complainant.
Finding no other way, the contractor reported the matter to Vigilance authorities. Following this, a team of Vigilance nabbed both the accused persons while taking Rs 10,000 from the complainant. The entire bribe money has been recovered from them and seized.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches are going on at two locations linked to Ghose Mohapatra from Disproportionate Assets angle. A case has been registered against the two and investigation is in progress.
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