In a swift anti-corruption operation, Odisha Vigilance today caught Soma Das, Junior Engineer (JE) of GED, Jagatsinghpur, while she was allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹15,000 from a contractor for preparing an estimate to install street lights in a Gram Panchayat.
The trap was laid after the complainant, an executant, approached the Vigilance authorities with allegations of harassment.
According to the complaint, on May 8, 2026, he had submitted the Gram Panchayat’s letter to Soma Das for the preparation of the estimate so that the work order could be issued in his favour. Despite repeated requests, the JE allegedly kept the file pending for no apparent reason.
Instead of processing the file, she reportedly demanded ₹15,000 — exactly 1% of the total estimated project cost of ₹15 lakh — as a bribe to prepare the estimate and clear the way for the work order.
Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a well-planned trap. Today, Soma Das was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe money inside her office chamber in Jagatsinghpur. The entire tainted amount of ₹15,000 was recovered and seized from her possession on the spot.
Following the successful trap, Vigilance teams are simultaneously conducting searches at two locations connected to the accused to investigate possible disproportionate assets.
In connection with the incident, Cuttack Vigilance Police Station has registered Case No. 24/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Investigation is in progress.
