Odisha Vigilance arrests junior engineer in Rs 1.36 lakh bribe sting

The Odisha Vigilance Department set up a trap after a contractor complained of repeated demands for illegal payments. On May 16, 2026, junior engineer Keshab Subudhi of the Bhapur Rural Works Section in Nayagarh district and his associate Ashutosh Baliarsingh were caught red‑handed accepting a cash bribe of Rs 1.36 lakh.

The payment was allegedly demanded to clear pending bills and facilitate the refund of the contractor’s Initial Security Deposit and security money for work completed under the Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana (MMSY) for 2021‑22 in the Khandapara area. The entire amount was seized, and simultaneous searches were launched at two locations linked to Subudhi to probe possible disproportionate assets. A case has been registered with the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and investigations are ongoing.