Odisha Vigilance today apprehended B.H. Umashankar, Junior Revenue Assistant (JRA) at Patana Tahasil office, while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000 from an applicant.
According to officials, the complainant had applied online on June 3 for mutation of ancestral land. When he enquired about the case status, Umashankar allegedly demanded Rs 6,000 to process the file and facilitate issuance of the Record of Rights (ROR). Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officers laid a trap and caught the accused red‑handed in the garage of the Tahasil office.
The entire tainted amount was recovered and seized. Simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Umashankar from the disproportionate assets angle.
In this connection, Baleshwar Vigilance PS Case No.17/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered. Investigation is in progress.
