Odisha Vigilance officials today apprehended Madhusmita Mohanty, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of Sadar, Baleshwar, and in-charge CDPO of Baleshwar Municipality, while she allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 5,000.
Mohanty had recently assumed additional charge of the Baleshwar Municipality CDPO office after the previous officer’s superannuation. The complainant, a vehicle owner who has provided his vehicle on hire to the CDPO Baleshwar Municipality office since 2024, had submitted pending bills for June and July 2026 at the rate of Rs 26,000 per month. According to the vigilance report, Mohanty demanded Rs 5,000 to clear and process the bills for payment.
Aggrieved by the demand, the vehicle owner approached Odisha Vigilance. A team laid a trap and caught Mohanty red-handed while accepting the cash. The entire bribe amount of Rs 5,000 was recovered from her possession and seized.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Mohanty as part of a disproportionate assets (DA) inquiry. Baleshwar Vigilance Police Station has registered Case No. 16/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Investigation against the accused CDPO is in progress, with a detailed report expected soon.
