Titilagarh: The Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended two employees of the office of the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies (ARCS), Titilagarh circle, while allegedly accepting bribe to process the release of Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) arrears of a retired colleague.
Senior Assistant Anil Kumar Panda and peon Harekrushna Majhi, both posted at the Titilagarh office in Balangir district, were caught red-handed after receiving Rs 70,000 as the first instalment of a Rs 1 lakh bribe demand.
According to Vigilance officials, the victim, who retired from the same office in January 2025, had been repeatedly approaching Panda to initiate the file for his pending MACP arrears. Panda allegedly refused to process the case unless he was paid a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. He instructed the retired employee to deposit Rs 70,000 as the initial payment into the bank account of peon Harekrushna Majhi.
Frustrated by the persistent demands and harassment, the retired staffer approached the Odisha Vigilance authorities and lodged a complaint. Following which, a Vigilance team laid a trap and nabbed both accused persons shortly after the bribe amount was transferred. Simultaneous searches are currently underway at the residences and other locations linked to Panda and Majhi to assess their disproportionate assets.
