Bolangir: Belapada Block JE Arrested for Taking Bribe

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested a Junior Engineer of Belapada Block in Bolangir district for allegedly taking bribe.

The JE has been identified as Harekrushna Sahoo.

Sahoo was apprehended by the Vigilance sleuths while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 7,000 as final instalment of overall demand of bribe of Rs 14,000 from a beneficiary to return the case record for preparation of Muster Roll for payment of wages to job card holders engaged in the construction work of dugwell of the beneficiary under “Open Well Irrigation Scheme”.

Sahoo had earlier received Rs.7000 from the beneficiary a few days back. However, as per overall demand of bribe, Sahoo was demanding rest amount of bribe from beneficiary to return the case record and for facilitating release of payment to the job card holders engaged in construction work of the beneficiary.

Finding no other means, the beneficiary reported the matter to the Odisha Vigilance narrating his harassment, and the same was registered on 3.10.2024.

Accordingly, Vigilance Officials made the plan and trapped the accused today while accepting bribe Rs 7,000 from the beneficiary. The entire tainted bribe money has been recovered from the possession of accused JE and seized.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches are going on at three locations of Sahoo from DA angle.

In this connection, Sambalpur Vigilance PS Case No. 24 dt.03.10.2024 U/s 7 P. C. Act, 1988 as amended by P.C. (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered. Investigation is in progress against the JE.