Odisha Vigilance apprehended Sanghamitra Pattanayak, Assistant Engineer of Balianta Block, Bhubaneswar, and his associate, Benudhara Parida, for accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a contractor.
The contractor had been persistently requesting the clearance of his pending bill of Rs 42,000, part of a total bill amounting to Rs 2 lakhs. However, Pattanayak allegedly demanded a bribe to process the payment.
Frustrated by the harassment, the contractor reported the matter to Vigilance authorities, leading to a successful trap. The bribe money was recovered from the accused, and simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Sri Pattanayak.
A case has been registered under Bhubaneswar Vigilance PS Case No. 06/2025, U/s 7 & 12 of the PC (Amendment) Act, 2018. Investigations are ongoing to uncover further details.
