Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested Sarita Barik (55), a tax officer, for allegedly accepting a Rs 25,000 bribe from a bakery shopowner. The arrest came a day after she was caught red-handed during a sting operation.
SP (Vigilance) Saroj Samal confirmed that subsequent searches at her residence uncovered Rs 1.45 lakh in cash, 222 grams of gold ornaments, jewellery bills, and property documents linked to a house in Bhubaneswar. Additionally, bank deposits amounting to Rs 60 lakh were found in the names of Barik and her family members.
Barik began her government career in March 1993 as a child development scheme supervisor, and joined the Odisha Finance Service (OFS) in June 2020.
“Multiple complaints had been received against her. In the latest one, she demanded Rs 25,000 from a bakery owner to reverse input tax credit for 2020–21 and waive penalties. The complaint was verified and action taken accordingly,” SP Samal added.
An investigation is ongoing into her assets and financial transactions.
