Bhubaneswar, 22 July (H.S.): In a significant anti-corruption operation, the Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday apprehended Sitakanta Rana, Principal of Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya (OAV), Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi district, while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10,000.

According to official sources, the accused had demanded the bribe from a functionary of a Self-Help Group (SHG) for facilitating the release of pending bills related to cleaning work carried out over the past three months in the 2026–27 financial year. The complainant had reportedly approached the principal multiple times for payment clearance, but the bills were allegedly withheld unless the bribe was paid.

Unable to meet the demand, the SHG functionary lodged a complaint with vigilance authorities, alleging harassment. Acting on the complaint, a vigilance team laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while accepting the bribe amount. The entire tainted money of ₹10,000 was recovered from his possession and subsequently seized.

Following the arrest, vigilance officials launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to the accused to investigate possible disproportionate assets. Authorities stated that further details will emerge as the investigation progresses.

A case has been registered at Koraput Vigilance Police Station under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act. The investigation is currently underway, and officials indicated that strict action will be taken based on the findings.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda