Baripada: Vigilance has apprehended an official in Sericulture department while taking a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
The Vigilance had received a complaint from a member of Rural Research Development Council, Mayurbhanj (Tussar) that Bibhuti Kumar Mallick, field assistant in the office of assistant director, Sericulture, at Baripada in the district was demanding the bribe for submitting feasibility report in his favour for tussar silk worm plantation in 1500 hectare in Bisoi, Kusumi and Bahalda blocks under District Minerals Funds.
The Vigilance set a trap and the complainant went to give the bribe to the field assistant. While Mallick was receiving the money, the Vigilance sleuths nabbed him. They recovered the total amount of Rs 1.5 lakh bribe money from his possession and seized it.
Following the trap, the Vigilance conducted simultaneous searches on properties of Mallick at three locations from DA angle.
Balasore Vigilance has registered a case in this connection under PC (Amendment) Act, 2018 and further investigation is on.