Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance sleuths Wednesday arrested Ajit Kumar Mohapatra, Deputy Superintendant, who is also the in-charge Superintendent of Excise, Deogarh and Mathura Mohan Pradhan, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Excise, Barkote, Deogarh while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs.1.5 lakh. They were apprehended red handed for demanding and accepting the bribe from a liquor Vendor.
According to a release by the Vigilance department, Ajit Kumar Mohapatra has been apprehended by Odisha Vigilance for demanding and accepting undue advantage (bribe) of Rs.1.5 Lakh from a complainant (licensed Foreign Liquor vendor) through Mathura Mohan Pradhan, ASI of Excise, Barkote, Deogarh, to facilitate him in his business. He had demanded Rs 3 lakh from the complainant to be paid in two installments.
Based on the above complaint, a trap was laid on Wednesday wherein the accused Ajit Kumar Mohapatra, in-charge Superintendent of Excise was caught by the team of Odisha Vigilance while demanding and accepting undue advantage (bribe) of Rs. 1.5 lakh from the complainant. The bribe money has been recovered from the possession of Mohapatra and seized in presence of witnesses. Following the trap, simultaneous searches have been launched on the residential house of Mohapatra at Berhampur and his rented house at Deogarh town as well as residential house of Mathura Mohan Pradhan at Purunapani in Deogarh. Both the accused persons have been arrested and will be forwarded to the Court.