KENDRAPARA: Vigilance officials on Tuesday caught the tehsildar of Mahakalapada red-handed while he was allegedly accepting Rs 20,000 bribe to evict an illegal structure from a government land.
Mahakalapada tehsildar Siba Mallick was arrested for taking the illegal gratification from one Antrajami Swain of Kianaelo village to help remove an encroachment on a government land, which was obstructing the passage to his house.
Official sources said Swain had filed an encroachment case in 2024. The revenue inspector (RI) concerned submitted a report to the Mahakalapada tehsildar confirming that some miscreants had encroached government land, thereby blocking the common road.
Subsequently, Swain met the tehsildar several times, requesting him to help remove the illegal encroachment blocking the road. However, Mallick reportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 for the purpose. The tehsildar also allegedly threatened that if Swain failed to pay the bribe, the file would be kept pending for years.
Left with no other option, Swain reported the matter to Vigilance authorities. Basing on his complaint, a team of Vigilance officials laid a trap and nabbed Mallick while he was receiving Rs 20,000 from the complainant in his office. The entire bribe money was recovered from the tehsildar’s possession, said Vigilance officials.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches have been launched at six locations linked to Mallick from disproportionate assets angle.
Vigilance officials said a case under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered in this connection. Further investigation is underway.
Earlier on September 12, tehsildar of Bamra in Sambalpur Aswini Kumar Panda was arrested for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 15,000 to convert kisam of a land in a mutation case. Incidentally, the 29-year-old Panda had topped the Odisha Civil Services Examination in 2019.