JEYPORE: Vigilance officials on Sunday arrested a peon of the special treasury office in Jeypore for allegedly taking Rs 47,000 bribe from a widow to clear her husband’s pending pension arrears.
Officials said the accused, Harischandra Mohapatra (50), had initially demanded Rs 87,000 from the complainant to release Rs 3.48 lakh pension dues of her late husband, a settlement employee. About four days ago, the widow and her son-in-law had paid Rs 40,000 to the peon as the first installment.
Later, Mohapatra demanded the remaining Rs 47,000 and reportedly threatened to withhold the pension money of September if she failed to pay immediately. Left with no option, the victim reported the matter to Koraput Vigilance division.
Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap and caught Mohapatra red-handed while he was receiving the bribe from the widow and her son-in-law on Saturday.
Subsequently, Vigilance raided Mohapatra’s house and seized 402 gm of gold and Rs 3.79 lakh cash from his possession.
Vigilance SP Rabindra Panda said Mohapatra was arrested and produced in court on Sunday.
