Rs 10 Lakh Bribery Case In Odisha: All 3 Arrested By CBI Granted Conditional Bail

Bhubaneswar: A special court in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday granted conditional bail to the three persons who were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case related to alleged bribery of Rs 10 lakh.

The Special CBI Court granted bail to group general manager of Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited Chanchal Kumar Mukherjee and contractor Santosh Moharana and middleman Debadutta Mohapatra.

The bail was granted by the court on the production of a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties each. The court, while granting them bail, set the condition that the accused cannot leave the city without court permission.

Defence lawyer argued that the amount involved was relatively small and there was no justification for keeping the accused in custody. He also contended that the notice under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita should not apply.

Notably, the CBI had arrested contractor Santosh Moharana and middleman Debadutta Mohapatra along with Mukherjee on December 7, after seizure of Rs 10 lakh from a car outside a star hotel in Bhubaneswar. This arrest was part of a trap operation conducted by the central probe agency.

According to the CBI, the accused were involved in corrupt and illegal activities related to awarding work orders and clearing bills in exchange for bribes. Specifically, it’s alleged that Moharana met Mukherjee at his Bhubaneswar office on December 6, where the CPSU official demanded Rs 10 lakh and promised to adjust the amount in future billings.