The Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested Suresh Kumar Dalabehera, Principal of the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Balangir, while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000.
According to official sources, Dalabehera had demanded a total bribe of Rs 1,15,000 from nine guest instructors at the institute. The demanded money was intended to secure their continuation as guest faculty and to ensure the regular release of their monthly salaries. The accused Principal had allegedly threatened to disengage the instructors from their services if the bribe amount was not paid promptly.
Unable to pay the extortionate demand, the victims approached the anti-corruption wing and lodged a formal complaint regarding their plight.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, a team from Odisha Vigilance laid a trap on November 6, 2026. Dalabehera was apprehended at the Balangir Railway Station while receiving the Rs 30,000 partial bribe amount from the complainant. The entire bribe money was recovered and seized from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses. A chemical test of his left-hand wash yielded a positive result, confirming that he had handled the marked currency.
Following his arrest, simultaneous search operations were launched across multiple properties linked to Dalabehera, including his official residential quarters at Govt. ITI Balangir, his ancestral home at Palligarh under Mahakalpada police limits in Kendrapada district, and a residential flat in Hamirpur, Rourkela. During the raid at the Raurkela flat, Vigilance officials unearthed and seized unaccounted cash amounting to ₹5.16 lakh.
In connection with the incident, Sambalpur Vigilance PS Case No. 22 (dated 05.11.2026) has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is currently underway, and the accused Principal will be forwarded to the designated court for judicial remand.
