Odisha Vigilance officials on Thursday arrested Bhisma Pradhan, Revenue Inspector of Goudpalli Revenue Circle under Jamankira Tahasil, for accepting a Rs40,000 bribe in connection with a land lease case.
Acting on a complaint from a landless applicant, Vigilance officers conducted a sting operation and caught Pradhan red-handed while accepting the bribe in exchange for issuing a favourable report and Record of Rights (RoR) for the complainant and his family.
According to officials, Pradhan had been demanding the bribe since November 2024, delaying the case intentionally. The complainant, frustrated by the continuous demands, reported the matter to Vigilance, leading to the successful trap.
The entire ₹40,000 bribe was recovered from Pradhan’s possession during the operation.
Following the arrest, simultaneous raids were conducted at two of his properties to assess possible disproportionate assets. A case has been registered under Sambalpur Vigilance P.S. Case No. 12, dated June 11, 2025, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
Authorities confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and a detailed report will be shared soon.
