Bhubaneswar, 5 June (H.S.): Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Sri Manoj Mohanty, Section Officer in the Office of the Sub Divisional Veterinary Officer (SDVO) at Puri, for allegedly accepting a Rs. 6,000 bribe to process an Electric Vehicle (EV) advance for a staffer and three colleagues.
According to Vigilance sources, the complainant—an SDVO staff member posted at Rench in Nimapara block—had secured government approval for the EV advance. However, Mohanty repeatedly delayed disbursal of the sanctioned amount and demanded a bribe of Rs. 6,000 before releasing the funds. Frustrated by the delay and extortion attempt, the staffer approached Vigilance authorities, prompting a trap operation.
During the sting, Vigilance sleuths caught Mohanty in the act of collecting the bribe. The entire Rs. 6,000 trap money was recovered from his possession and seized. Simultaneously, Vigilance teams conducted searches at two locations associated with Mohanty to gather further evidence under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
A case has been registered at the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station as Case No. 10/2025 under Section 7 of the PC (Amendment) Act, 2018. Investigations are ongoing to ascertain any wider network of corruption and to hold all involved parties accountable.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda