Odisha Vigilance today caught Ajay Kumar Garanaik, Special Land Acquisition Officer for the Sambalpur-Talcher Doubling Rail Line Project, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 3.10 lakh.
The officer was apprehended following a targeted trap operation laid by vigilance officials after a local landowner reported persistent harassment and extortion demands.
Drawn-Out Extortion & Threat of Future Blockades
According to official sources, Garanaik had originally demanded a total bribe of Rs 5.10 lakh from the complainant in exchange for facilitating the release of Rs 84,62,288 in legitimate land acquisition compensation.
The accused official had already collected an initial instalment of Rs 2 lakh on October 27, 2026, and was aggressively demanding the remaining balance of Rs 3.10 lakh.
Vigilance officials revealed that Sri Garanaik escalated pressure on the landowner by threatening to create administrative hurdles during future land acquisition proceedings for the upcoming third railway line project unless the remaining cash was delivered immediately. Unwilling to succumb to further extortion, the aggrieved complainant approached the Odisha Vigilance authorities.
Successful Trap and Simultaneous Raids
Acting on the complaint, a team of Odisha Vigilance officers laid a trap on November 2, 2026. Sri Garanaik was caught red-handed at the moment he accepted the balance bribe amount of Rs 3,10,000.
The entire tainted bribe amount was recovered intact from the officer’s possession and seized under formal inventory procedures.
Following the successful trap, Odisha Vigilance launched simultaneous searches across three locations linked to Sri Garanaik to investigate potential Disproportionate Assets (DA).
Legal Action Underway
A formal case has been registered at the Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station (Sambalpur Vigilance P.S. Case No. 20 dated 01.11.2026) under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Investigation against the accused officer is currently in progress, and detailed proceedings are expected to follow shortly.
