Bhubaneswar, 21 July (H.S.): Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday apprehended a Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹5,000 from a beneficiary under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY) in Jajpur district.
The accused has been identified as Prafulla Kumar Nath, PEO of Kachara Sahi Gram Panchayat under Korei block. He was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe for releasing the final instalment and bonus amount under the rural housing scheme.
According to Vigilance officials, the beneficiary, a poor widow, had completed construction of her house within the stipulated time and was eligible to receive the final instalment along with a bonus. However, the accused initially demanded ₹10,000 to process the payment. Upon her inability to pay, he allegedly reduced the demand to ₹5,000 and threatened to withhold the funds if the bribe was not paid.
Distressed by the harassment, the beneficiary lodged a complaint with Vigilance authorities. Acting on the complaint, a trap was laid, and Nath was caught while accepting the bribe. The entire amount of ₹5,000 was recovered from his possession and seized.
Following the arrest, simultaneous searches are being conducted at two locations linked to the accused to investigate possible disproportionate assets.
A case has been registered at Cuttack Vigilance Police Station (Case No. 26/2026) under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
