Odisha Vigilance today apprehended two staff members from the office of the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) in Parlakhemundi, Gajapati district, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 25,000.
The accused, Jagdish Pattnaik, a clerk, and Niranjan Nayak, a peon, were caught red-handed on Wednesday while extorting money from a young medical doctor seeking a contractual appointment.
The incident unfolded when the complainant, a qualified doctor, approached the CDMO office to obtain his appointment letter, which had already been approved by the competent authority. Instead of processing the file, Pattnaik and Nayak allegedly demanded Rs. 25,000 to issue the letter. Frustrated by the harassment, the doctor reported the matter to Odisha Vigilance, which swiftly organised a sting operation. The accused duo was apprehended in the act of accepting the bribe, and the entire amount was recovered and seized.
A case has been registered against Pattnaik and Nayak under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, as Berhampur Vigilance PS Case No. 12, dated August 12, 2025. Simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Pattnaik to investigate potential disproportionate assets. Authorities are probing deeper to uncover any additional instances of corruption involving the accused.
