In a major embarrassment for the Odisha bureaucracy, 2019-batch OAS topper Aswini Kumar Panda has been suspended following his arrest in a bribery case.
Panda, who served as Tehsildar of Bamra in Sambalpur district, was caught accepting a Rs 15,000 bribe through his office driver in a land conversion case.
The arrest was made on September 12 after vigilance officials intercepted the transaction. Subsequent searches at Panda’s residence in Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar, led to the recovery of Rs 4.73 lakh in cash, gold jewellery, and land-related documents, raising concerns about disproportionate assets.
The Revenue Department issued a suspension order citing Panda’s detention exceeding 48 hours, in accordance with Rule-12 of the OCS (CC&A) Rules, 1962. He will remain under suspension until further notice.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, while addressing new recruits at a government appointment fair, condemned the incident and warned that corruption among young officers would not be tolerated. He also referenced a similar case involving 2021-batch IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, who was arrested in June for accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe.
The incident has sparked widespread debate about ethics in public service and the need for stronger accountability mechanisms.
