SAMBALPUR: Sambalpur Vigilance division inspector Manasi Jena was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 10 lakh from a government official for the closure of his petition on Friday. Jena was allegedly accepting the money as bribe through her associate Mukesh Sahoo of Bargarh. Sahoo has also been arrested by the Internal Vigilance Unit of Odisha Vigilance.
According to a release issued by the department, on Friday afternoon at around 2 pm, the Odisha Vigilance unit laid a trap against inspector Jena, on the basis of a complaint filed by a government official. The complainant alleged that, Jena had demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh for closing a petition against him, which she was inquiring into.
While Jena had reportedly sent her associate Mukesh Sahoo to receive the money, Sahoo was caught while receiving the amount from the complainant. Following the arrests, simultaneous searches are on at four locations including Sambalpur, Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar besides the residential house of Sahoo at Bargarh.
A case has been registered under section 7 and 12 of the PC Act, 1988 as amended by PC (Amendment) Act, 2018 against Jena and Sahoo. Further investigation is underway.
Director of Vigilance, YK Jethwa has stated, "We have activated the Internal Vigilance Unit which is operating within the Cell Division of Vigilance Directorate. It is exclusively focused on keeping a watch on activities of Vigilance officials. We are committed to take strong action against anyone indulging in corrupt practices."