Bhubaneswar, 24 July (H.S.): Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested a Revenue Inspector (RI) of Kaupada Circle in Kendrapara district for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹5,500 from a land applicant.

The accused has been identified as Sai Darshini Lenka. According to Vigilance officials, the complainant had purchased a piece of land from two joint owners a few years ago and had applied for mutation on June 24, 2026, to obtain the Record of Rights (ROR)/land patta in his name. Despite repeated follow-ups, the case was allegedly kept pending.

Investigators said Lenka initially demanded ₹6,000 to submit a favourable report in the mutation case and facilitate issuance of the ROR. After the applicant expressed inability to pay, she allegedly reduced the demand to ₹5,500. Unable to meet the demand, the applicant approached Odisha Vigilance.

Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while accepting the bribe amount. The entire sum was recovered from her possession and seized.

Following the arrest, simultaneous searches are being conducted at three locations linked to Lenka to probe possible disproportionate assets.

A case has been registered at the Vigilance Police Station in Cuttack under Case No. 27 dated July 23, 2026, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda