BHUBANESWAR:Inspector-in-charge (IIC) of Khandapada police station Rajendra Kumar Mandal was caught red-handed by the Vigilance sleuths while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 in his office on Friday.
The Vigilance officials searched Mandal’s house at Balakati on the outskirts of the Capital City. Mandal has been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to Vigilance SP Basanta Panigrahi, Mandal had demanded the money from a grocery shop owner, Patitapaban Sahoo, to initiate action in a cheque bounce complaint lodged by the latter.
Sahoo, a resident of Kantilo in Nayagarh district, had given a loan of Rs 50,000 to Kailash Chandra Dalei, Sarpanch of Sidhamula gram panchayat.
Dalei had tendered a cheque in November, 2014 towards repayment of the loan. But, the cheque bounced at UCO Bank, Kantilo branch due to non-availability of funds following which Sahoo had lodged a complaint at Khandapada police station.
Sahoo had approached the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Division after Mandal demanded the money. The IIC was produced in the Vigilance Court.
In another case, the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Division arrested the Executive Officer (EO) of Nandapur gram panchayat under Banapur block in Khurda district on the charges of bribery.
The EO, Bijay Kumar Mandal, was caught by the Vigilance sleuths while he was receiving a gratification of Rs 5000 from Kailash Chandra Das of Gopikantapur in Banapur.
Sources said the Banapur Block Development Officer (BDO) had issued work order to Sabita Das, a relative of Kailash, for construction of a house under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). She has constructed the IAY house and received the first running bill of Rs 15,000 and second of Rs 45,000.
On Thursday, Bijay demanded the money for preparation of the final bill from Kailash who reported the matter to the Vigilance Division.
Bijay was booked under Prevention of Corruption Act and produced in a Vigilance court.