The Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Mousumi Behera, Deputy Ranger of the Phulnakhara Range under the City Forest Division, Bhubaneswar, while she was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1,00,000.
According to official reports, Behera had demanded the hefty sum from a staff member within her own range. The bribe was allegedly solicited in lieu of releasing bills pertaining to the maintenance of three plantation sites for the period between July and September 2026. These crucial forestry activities encompassed watch and ward services, regular watering, and fertiliser application.
Investigators revealed that the accused official not only conditioned the release of pending funds for the previous three months on the payment of the Rs 1 lakh bribe, but also issued a stern ultimatum: failure to meet her demands would result in the indefinite withholding of bills for all upcoming months.
Unable to meet the illegal demand and deeply aggrieved by the coercion, the staff member approached the anti-corruption wing and formally reported the matter. Acting swiftly on the complaint, a specialised team of Odisha Vigilance laid a trap and caught Smt. Behera red-handed while she was accepting the tainted money. The entire sum of Rs 1,00,000 was successfully recovered from her possession and seized as material evidence.
Following the successful trap, simultaneous search operations are currently underway at two distinct locations linked to the accused Deputy Ranger from a disproportionate assets (DA) angle.
A formal case has been registered against her under Vigilance Cell P.S. Case No. 09 dated 28.10.2026, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Authorities confirmed that a detailed investigation is actively progressing, and further updates will follow as searches and inquiries continue.
