ROURKELA: Vigilance sleuths caught a traffic inspector of the Odisha Motor Vehicle Department (OMVD) red-handed while he was allegedly taking `20,000 bribe from a truck owner on Monday.
The accused traffic inspector, Mukesh Kumar Mishra, is posted in the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of Sundargarh.
Sources in the Rourkela Vigilance Division informed that Mishra was allegedly harassing the complainant to pay the bribe to allow him to continue commercial operation of his two Hyva trucks. The errant transport official had reportedly asked him to pay the monthly bribe quota of `20,000 for June and July to allow his trucks to operate smoothly under Mishra’s jurisdiction.
Unable to pay the bribe, the truck owner lodged a complaint with the Vigilance. Acting on it, a trap was laid and Mishra was caught red-handed while he was allegedly accepting the bribe from the complainant on state highway-10 near Gariamal chowk in Bargaon block, about 30 km from Sundargarh town where he was posted.
Subsequently, Mishra was arrested by Vigilance officials. Following the trap, simultaneous searches were conducted at the traffic inspector’s rented accommodation and office at Sundargarh town along with his paternal house in Bargarh district. During the search, Vigilance sleuths reportedly recovered `14.33 lakh cash from Mishra’s rented house at Sundargarh town. Vigilance officials said valuation of the traffic inspector’s assets was underway.
Mishra entered government service in 2015 as an OMVD traffic sub-inspector. He was posted at different stations including Talcher, Balangir and Nuapada. He was promoted to the rank of inspector in July 2022.