BHUBANESWAR: Vigilance on Wednesday caught red handed Hindol sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Malaya Kishore Nayak, while allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 30,000 bribe from a stone quarry owner.
Minutes after the police officer was arrested, his wife Rita Mahapatra managed to escape from their residential government quarters in Hindol on a two wheeler with an unknown person. She was reportedly carrying a brief case and one bag with her.
Their government quarter was then searched in presence of an Executive Magistrate. Vigilance officers said that efforts are on to trace Mahapatra and she will be questioned in connection with the case. Nayak had reportedly demanded the money from the complainant to facilitate his business and the transportation related to it.
After arresting Nayak in Karanda under Rasol police limits, the anti-corruption agency’s officers conducted searches at his property in six places - Bhubaneswar, Puri, Angul, Dhenkanal and Sambalpur town. Searches were conducted at his government quarters in Hindol, double-storey building at Amalapada in Angul district, one flat each at Tata Ariana in Capital City and in Puri.
During searches, Nayak and his family members were found in possession of a double-storey building in Angul, a double-storeyed building and a plot in Sambalpur and one flat each in Bhubaneswar and Puri.
Cuttack Vigilance officers have registered a case against Nayak and they are verifying his investments, deposits in banks and insurance policies.
The anti-corruption agency's officers suspect that Nayak was collecting bribes from different persons through cash, ATM deposits and online payment systems. "A team comprising of cyber cell officers and banking consultants of our department are examining the financial transactions of Nayak. Further investigation into the case is continuing," said a Vigilance officer.