Odisha Vigilance Nabs ARI Taking Rs 12,000 Bribe in Kendrapara

Odisha Vigilance officials caught Assistant Revenue Inspector (ARI) Abhimanyu Behera red‑handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 12,000 at his office in Kendrapara district on November 25, 2025.

The bribe was demanded from a landowner seeking the conversion of agricultural land into homestead land.

The landowner had applied online before the Tahsildar, Derabish, on October 31, 2025. During the verification process, Behera initially asked for Rs 15,000, later reducing the demand to Rs 12,000 when the applicant expressed inability to pay.

Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap and apprehended Behera while he accepted the money.

The entire amount was recovered from his possession and seized as evidence. Simultaneous searches were conducted at two of his locations to investigate disproportionate assets.

Authorities registered Cuttack Vigilance PS Case No. 33/2024 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation is ongoing.

This operation highlights Odisha’s continued crackdown on corruption in revenue administration and reinforces transparency in land conversion processes.