Keonjhar Forest Official Nabbed for Rs 30,000 Bribe in Pension Scam
Keonjhar, – September 10, : In a major crackdown on corruption, Odisha Vigilance officials arrested Rupchand Nayak, a Junior Assistant at the Deputy Conservator of Forests office in Champua, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs30,000 from a retired employee.
The complainant, who had voluntarily retired in 2024, had been persistently requesting Nayak to process his final pension documents and arrears salary bill. Instead of facilitating the paperwork, Nayak allegedly demanded a bribe to move the file forward.
Frustrated by the delay and harassment, the retiree approached Odisha Vigilance, prompting a sting operation.
Nayak was caught red-handed during the trap, and the entire bribe amount was recovered from his possession. Following the arrest, simultaneous raids were conducted at two of his properties to investigate disproportionate assets.
A case has been registered under Balasore Vigilance PS Case No. 09/2025, invoking Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation is ongoing, and further revelations are expected.
This incident underscores the persistent challenge of corruption in public service and the growing role of vigilance bodies in ensuring accountability.
