Odisha Vigilance officials have apprehended Sakuntala Das, CDPO of Dashmantpur Block, along with Minati Khosla, an Anganwadi Worker, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a newly appointed Anganwadi Helper.
The Anganwadi Helper, who had joined one and a half months ago, was seeking the release of her salary from Smt. Das, the designated Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO). However, instead of processing the payment, Das allegedly demanded a bribe, instructing the helper to hand over the money to her associate, Minati Khosla.
Upon receiving a complaint, Vigilance officials set up a trap operation, leading to the arrest of the accused while they were accepting the bribe inside the CDPO’s office. The entire amount was recovered and seized, and further searches are underway at multiple locations linked to the accused individuals.
Following the operation, a case has been registered under Koraput Vigilance P.S. Case No. 18/2025 in accordance with Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Amendment Act, 2018. Authorities are continuing their investigations to uncover further details related to the illegal activities.
This incident underscores the government’s commitment to eradicating corruption at the grassroots levels and ensuring transparency in public administration.
