In a swift anti-corruption operation, Odisha Vigilance apprehended a peon from the Special Treasury Office in Jeypore, Koraput district, for demanding and accepting a bribe from the widow of a deceased government employee.
The accused, Harischandra Mohapatra, was caught red-handed while taking Rs 47,000 as the second and final instalment of an overall bribe demand of Rs 87,000.
The incident stems from Mohapatra’s exploitation of the complainant, who sought the release of her late husband’s arrears pension amounting to Rs 3,48,000. Mohapatra had demanded 25% of the pension amount as a bribe, having already received Rs 40,000 as the first instalment a few days prior. He continued to pressure the widow, threatening to withhold her pension payments from September 2025 unless the remaining Rs 47,000 was paid. Distressed by the harassment, the complainant approached Vigilance authorities, leading to a trap operation.
A team from Odisha Vigilance laid the trap and nabbed Mohapatra today while he was accepting the bribe money from the complainant. The entire tainted amount of Rs 47,000 was recovered from his possession and seized on the spot.
In connection with the case, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Mohapatra to investigate potential disproportionate assets (DA). Koraput Vigilance Police Station Case No. 32, dated October 24, 2025, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation against the accused peon is ongoing, with a detailed report expected soon.
