Bhubaneshwar( OT Webdesk): In a swift operation, Odisha Vigilance officials apprehended two government employees from the Office of the Superintendent Engineer, Minor Irrigation, Gajapati, for allegedly accepting a bribe via a UPI transaction.
Divisional Accounts Officer Suraj Prasad Jaiswal and Senior Assistant Naresh Pattanaik were caught red-handed while receiving Rs 30,000 from a contractor in exchange for clearing pending bills worth Rs 32 lakhs related to various work orders totalling over Rs 86 lakhs.
According to sources, each official accepted Rs 15,000 digitally through their smartphones. Their attempt at discreet transactions backfired as vigilance officials, acting on a tip-off, successfully intercepted the exchange.
Authorities confirmed the transaction and subsequently conducted raids at multiple locations linked to the accused as part of an ongoing investigation.
A case has been registered under Berhampur Vigilance PS Case No.5/2025, U/s 7 PC (Amendment) Act, 2018. Officials are now probing deeper into potential corruption networks within the department.
The incident highlights the evolving nature of bribery, where digital payments are now being leveraged for illicit transactions.
Odisha Vigilance remains committed to eliminating corruption through stringent actions and surveillance.
