The State Vigilance on Wednesday arrested Assistant Agriculture Engineer, Bhubaneswar, Tirjok Mohanty, for taking a bribe of Rs 16,000 in his office at Satya Nagar.
Mohanty had allegedly demanded the money for authenticating the sale information uploaded by the Lenka Agency of Gudiapokhari in Pipili on the website of the Agriculture department showing supply of 42 pumpsets to farmers on subsidised price as per the permit issued by the Assistant Agriculture Officer, Pipili. The authentication by Mohanty would have helped the proprietor Ajay Kumar Lenka to receive the subsidy amount from the Government.
Disinclined to accede to the demand, Lenka had complained to the Vigilance department following which a trap was laid. Mohanty was caught red-handed by Vigilance sleuths while accepting the bribe amount from Lenka. The tainted money was recovered from the office drawer of Mohanty and seized.
His hand wash gave positive reactions, officials said.