Odisha Vigilance officials arrested Revenue Inspector Rajaram Bandra of Mangarajpur under Tangi-Choudwar Tahasil, Cuttack district, while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000.
The landowner had applied online on March 10, 2026, to convert his patita land into homestead land as per R&DM Department guidelines. Bandra allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 to furnish a favourable report in the mutation case. He threatened the applicant that, without payment, he would not submit the required report.
Finding no alternative, the landowner alerted Vigilance authorities. Acting on the complaint, a team laid a trap and caught Bandra red-handed in his office on March 29, while he accepted the bribe. Officials recovered the entire tainted amount from his possession and seized it.
Following the arrest, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to Bandra to investigate disproportionate assets. Authorities confirmed that Cuttack Vigilance PS registered Case No. 13/2026 under Section 7 of the PC Amendment Act, 2018.
Investigators stated that the arrest marks a significant step in curbing corruption in land conversion cases. Vigilance officials emphasised that strict action will continue against government employees indulging in bribery.
