Odisha Vigilance officials apprehended Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Somanath Palei of Balianta Police Station in Bhubaneswar today while he was caught red-handed accepting a bribe.
According to the Vigilance Directorate, ASI Palei, who was the Investigating Officer in a family dispute case, demanded Rs 4,000 from the complainant in exchange for favourable assistance in the matter. He allegedly threatened the complainant with arrest if the bribe was not paid, prompting the victim to alert authorities.
Acting on the tip-off, a Vigilance team laid a trap and nabbed Palei inside Balianta Police Station as he accepted the marked bribe amount. The entire sum of Rs 4,000 was recovered from his possession and seized as evidence.
In the wake of the arrest, simultaneous searches are underway at three locations linked to Palei to investigate potential disproportionate assets (DA). This move aims to uncover any additional irregularities in his financial dealings.
A case has been registered against him at Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station under Case No. 25 dated November 12, 2025, invoking Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation is ongoing, with further details expected soon.
