Odisha Vigilance officials apprehended Ashok Kumar Nayak, Forester of Gulumi Section under Muribahal Range, while he was demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a farmer.
The farmer had sought permission to transport logs of one teak and one sal tree cut from his own land a few days earlier. Nayak imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 for cutting the trees without prior permission, as per government rules. However, he also demanded an additional bribe of Rs 10,000 to allow transportation. He allegedly threatened the farmer with action if the bribe was not paid.
Frustrated by the harassment, the farmer reported the matter to the Vigilance authorities. Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Nayak red-handed while accepting Rs 10,000 as a bribe along with the Rs 2,000 fine. Officials recovered the total amount of Rs 12,000 from his possession and seized it.
Following the trap, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at two of Nayak’s locations to investigate disproportionate assets.
In connection with the incident, Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station registered Case No.01 dated 05.01.2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 against the accused. A detailed investigation is underway.
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