SAMBALPUR: Special land acquisition officer of the Sambalpur-Talcher Doubling Rail Line Project Ajay Kumar Garanaik, arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 5.10 lakh from a landowner, was produced before a court on Tuesday.
Garanaik was arrested on Monday for accepting the gratification in exchange for releasing land acquisition compensation.
The state Vigilance said, Garanaik had allegedly sought the bribe for releasing Rs 84.62 lakh towards compensation for acquired land and extending favours in future compensation proceedings for the proposed third railway line project from the landowner.
Garanaik had already received Rs 2 lakh from the complainant on October 27 and was demanding the remaining Rs 3.10 lakh when he walked into a Vigilance trap. He had allegedly threatened to create hurdles in the complainant’s future land acquisition proceedings for the third railway line project if the outstanding amount was not paid.
Aggrieved by the harassment, the landowner approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint. Acting on it, a Vigilance team laid a trap on Monday and caught Garanaik while allegedly accepting the remaining bribe of Rs 3.10 lakh. The entire tainted amount was recovered from his possession and seized.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches were launched at three locations linked to the accused to ascertain whether he had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Sambalpur Vigilance Police registered a case under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Briefing the media on Tuesday, Vigilance SP PK Dwivedi said efforts were underway to ascertain whether Garanaik possessed disproportionate assets. The accused was produced before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Sambalpur and remanded to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway.
