Odisha Vigilance officials today apprehended Bijay Kumar Grahacharya, an Amin at Nimapara Notified Area Council (NAC) in Puri district, while he was accepting a bribe.
The incident unfolded when Grahacharya demanded and took the third and final instalment of Rs 17,000 from an applicant seeking approval for a building plan. This brought the total bribe amount to Rs 30,000, as per the initial demand.
The case dates back to March 2025, when the applicant submitted a request to the Nimapara NAC for permission to construct a house in the area. Despite repeated follow-ups, Grahacharya allegedly delayed processing the file without any valid reason. Instead, he demanded a bribe of Rs 33,000 to initiate the necessary procedures. When the applicant expressed an inability to pay the full amount, Grahacharya reduced it to Rs 30,000. Over the following days, he had already received Rs 3,000 and Rs 10,000 in two prior instalments.
Frustrated by the harassment, the applicant approached the Odisha Vigilance authorities to report the matter. Acting swiftly, a Vigilance team set up a trap. Today, Grahacharya accepted the remaining Rs 17,000 from the applicant outside the office. Upon spotting the Vigilance officers, he attempted to discard the money by dropping it on the footrest of a parked scooter. However, the team recovered the entire tainted amount and seized it as evidence.
In connection with the trap, Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station registered Case No. 26 dated November 28, 2025, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act against Grahacharya. Simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to him to investigate potential disproportionate assets. The investigation is ongoing, with a detailed report expected soon.
