Odisha Vigilance has unearthed a massive corruption case in the forest department following the arrest of Deputy Ranger Asit Kumar Pattanayak of Bisra Forest Range, Rourkela Forest Division, Sundargarh district.
Pattanayak was caught red-handed accepting a Rs 18,000 bribe from a vehicle owner to release hire charges for a vehicle engaged for official purposes.
Acting swiftly, Vigilance officials launched simultaneous raids at four locations connected to Pattanayak, including his residence in Basanti Colony, Rourkela, his office-cum-residence in Bisra, a flat in Bhubaneswar, and his paternal house in Mayurbhanj district. During these searches, authorities unearthed Rs 8.37 lakh in cash and recovered approximately 390 grams of gold from his residence.
A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigation is underway. Pattanayak is expected to be produced before the Vigilance Court in Sundargarh town once legal formalities are completed.
This incident adds to Odisha Vigilance’s ongoing crackdown on corruption, reinforcing efforts to promote transparency and accountability in government departments.
