In yet another case of bribery, Odisha Vigilance authorities apprehended Surendra Kumar Dash, Revenue Inspector (RI) of Tusar RI Circle under Athamallik Tahasil in Angul district.
Dash was caught red-handed while accepting the second and final instalment of a bribe amounting to Rs 6,000 from a landowner. The incident occurred inside the RI office campus in Kiakata, Angul district.
The case stems from an application filed by the landowner on November 24, 2025, seeking the demarcation of his plots. When the complainant approached Dash on January 5, 2026, to inquire about the progress, the RI demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 to process the application and issue orders for demarcation. Dash accepted an initial instalment of Rs 2,000 on the same day and instructed the landowner to pay the remaining Rs 8,000 on January 8. After negotiations, where the landowner expressed inability to pay the full amount, Dash reduced the demand to Rs 6,000.
Frustrated by the harassment, the landowner reported the matter to Odisha Vigilance. Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Dash in the act of accepting the Rs 6,000. In a desperate attempt to evade capture, Dash threw the bribe money out of a restroom window within the office campus. However, the entire amount was recovered and seized by the authorities.
Simultaneous searches are currently underway at three locations linked to Dash, as part of an investigation into disproportionate assets (DA). A case has been registered against him at Cuttack Vigilance Police Station under Case No. 01 dated January 8, 2026, invoking Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further details on the investigation are awaited as authorities continue their probe.
This incident underscores the Vigilance department’s commitment to rooting out corruption in public services, particularly in land-related matters that often plague rural administration in Odisha.
