Bhubaneswar, 21 May (H.S.): Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Bibhuti Bhusan Sahoo, Male Health Worker (MHW) of Haladia Community Health Centre (CHC) in Khordha district, while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 1,000 from a complainant for processing the issuance of death certificates of his deceased parents.

According to Vigilance officials, the complainant had earlier submitted an application to the Sub-Collector, Khordha, seeking issuance of the death certificates. Acting on the application, the Sub-Collector had directed the Registrar, Birth & Death-cum-Medical Officer of Haladia CHC to issue the certificates.

However, it was alleged that Sri Sahoo demanded Rs. 1,000 as illegal gratification from the complainant and refused to process the file unless the bribe amount was paid.

Unable to bear the alleged harassment, the complainant approached Odisha Vigilance authorities and lodged a complaint against the accused official. Based on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and apprehended Sri Sahoo while he was accepting the bribe amount from the complainant.

The entire tainted bribe money amounting to Rs. 1,000 was recovered from the possession of the accused and subsequently seized.

Following the trap operation, simultaneous searches are being carried out at two locations linked to Sri Sahoo from the disproportionate assets (DA) angle.

In this connection, Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station Case No. 08 dated 21.05.2026 has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda