Vigilance nabs tehsildar for taking bribe

Bhubaneswar: Continuingits crackdown on corruption, the Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested the tehsildar of Soro in Balasore district after he was caught red-handed while taking bribe from a businessman.

“On Thursday, Daitari Mallik, tehsildar of Soro, along with Dayanidhi Jena (an associate), has been apprehended by the Odisha Vigilance for receiving a bribe of Rs 40,000 from a truck owner to facilitate release of his five detained trucks laden with stones under his jurisdiction. Tehsildar Mallik had detained the five of his trucks laden with minor minerals since February 11,” a senior Vigilance official said.

The accused Mallik demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from the truck owner for not handing over those trucks to the State’s Mining department for levy of heavy penalty against him, and to facilitate release of the trucks. When the truck owner expressed his inability to pay a huge bribe of Rs 1 lakh, the accused tehsildar reduced the bribe amount to Rs 40,000 following the negotiation.

Finding no other way, the truck owner lodged a complaint with the Vigilance authorities in connection with the case. Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance sleuths laid a trap on Thursday and nabbed Soro tehsildar Mallik and associate Jena in the office room, on the charges of taking undue advantage of Rs 40,000 from the truck owner. The entire bribe money was recovered from the accused duo in the presence of witnesses.

The Vigilance sources also noted that following the trap, simultaneous searches were launched on the rented residential house of Mallik at Soro, his rental accommodation at Chandrasekharpur in BDA Colony’s phase-2 in Bhubaneswar, as well as his office room.

A case was registered in this regard at Balasore Vigilance police station on February 18 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.