In a swift crackdown on corruption in the education sector, Odisha Vigilance has apprehended Kumarmani Mallick, the in-charge Headmaster of Budaguda Government Girls’ High School in Kandhamal district, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 via digital payment from a female school staffer.
The incident unfolded today, October 31, 2025, when Mallick was caught red-handed by a Vigilance team while receiving the illicit payment through PhonePe. The bribe was demanded to regularise the complainant’s two-month absence period and facilitate the release of her pending salary.
According to sources, Mallick had explicitly refused to process her salary disbursement unless the Rs 4,000 was paid, leaving the complainant with no recourse but to report the extortion to the anti-corruption authorities.
The complainant, a lady staffer at the same high school, alleged that Mallick insisted on marking her absent days as “regular” attendance in exchange for the bribe. “He made it clear that without the payment, her salary for the last two months would remain withheld,” Vigilance officials confirmed, adding that the trap was meticulously planned based on the woman’s detailed complaint.
Upon receiving the digital transfer, Vigilance sleuths raided the spot and seized Mallick’s mobile phone—the device to which the bribe amount was credited. The arrest marks yet another blow to graft in public institutions, highlighting the growing use of digital modes for such transactions.
Following the trap, search operations are underway at three locations associated with the accused, including his residence and office, as part of a disproportionate assets (DA) probe to uncover any amassed ill-got wealth.
The case has been registered as Berhampur Vigilance Police Station Case No. 16 dated October 31, 2025, under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigations are ongoing, with a detailed report expected shortly.
