JAJPUR: Vigilance officials arrested a woman assistant engineer (AE) of Badachana block and her aide for allegedly taking Rs 35,000 bribe to release security deposit and clear pending bills of a contractor on Monday.
The accused are AE Bandita Dash and her associate Somnath Sethy.
Vigilance officials said the complainant, who was awarded the construction work of a school in Badachana block, had submitted bills for payment. When he asked for his security deposit and pending bills, the accused engineer allegedly demanded Rs 35,000 bribe.
The complainant then reported the matter to Vigilance. Accordingly, a trap was laid and a Vigilance team nabbed both Dash and her associate Sethy while they were allegedly taking the bribe from the complainant. The entire bribe amount of Rs 35,000 was recovered from their possession and seized.
Officials said following the trap, simultaneous searches are underway at three locations linked to Dash as part of disproportionate assets probe. A case has been registered against Dash and Sethy at Cuttack Vigilance police station and further investigation is underway.