SUNDARGARH: Mahendra Choudhury, General Manager of District Industries Centre (DIC) at Sundargarh town, was arrested by Vigilance sleuths on Saturday for his alleged involvement in a bribe case.
Mahendra was caught red-handed at his office while taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 from industrial loan aspirant, Manoj Sahu.
Manoj, a resident of adjacent Jharsuguda district, had approached the DIC to process his project report to bank for availing an industrial loan to set up a fly-ash brick unit at Darlipali of Sundargarh.
However, Mahendra demanded the bribe from him for the purpose.
Vigilance sources said on receipt of a complaint from Manoj, a team comprising Sundargarh DSP Parmeswar Kishan and Jharsuguda DSP Birendra Nayak laid a trap and arrested Mahendra.
The anti-corruption wing conducted raids on Mahendra’s double-storey residence at Sundargarh town and his native house in Lefripara block of the district.
Assessment of the property accumulated by Mahendra is underway, officials said. Mahendra was sent to judicial custody on Saturday night.
Incidentally, six months ago Sundargarh DIC’s Industrial Promotion Officer in Tangarpali block Paritosh Patnaik was arrested by Vigilance officials while accepting bribe for similar reason.