Odisha Vigilance arrests two officials for bribery

Odisha Vigilance officials conducted two separate anti-corruption operations in the state, resulting in the arrest of two government officials for accepting bribes.

In Baleshwar district, Revenue Inspector Sarat Kumar Sethy of Tudigadia was arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 5,000. The bribe was reportedly requested to facilitate the issuance of a Record of Rights (ROR) in a land mutation case. Vigilance officials caught Sethy in his office while he was accepting the payment.

In Brahmapur, Chief District Agriculture Officer Byomkesh Mishra was apprehended for allegedly accepting Rs 15,000 to process a subsidy file under the Mukhya Mantri Krushi Udyog Yojana. The complainant, a farmer seeking a 50 per cent subsidy, had reportedly faced delays for two months before Mishra demanded the upfront payment and a percentage of the final subsidy. Following the arrest, authorities launched searches at three locations linked to Mishra to investigate disproportionate assets.