RWSS Clerk Caught Taking Rs 20K Bribe in Bhawanipatna
Bhubaneswar, Nov 13: Odisha Vigilance officials have exposed corruption in the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Division at Bhawanipatna after trapping Senior Clerk T. Bhenkatagiri Rao while he accepted a bribe of Rs 20,000.
The money was demanded from retired staffer Trilochan Sabar, who had been requesting Rao to prepare his pension papers since his retirement on March 31, 2024.
Acting on Sabar’s complaint, Vigilance officers supplied marked notes and conducted a raid at Rao’s government quarters. Rao attempted to dispose of the cash by throwing it out of his window when the team entered, but the tainted money was recovered immediately.
A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 (Koraput PS Case No. 34, dated November 12, 2025). Searches are ongoing at three locations linked to Rao to investigate disproportionate assets.
The arrest has shocked residents of Bhawanipatna, raising concerns about corruption in pension processing. Vigilance authorities reiterated their commitment to curb bribery and urged citizens to report illegal demands, stressing that transparency and accountability remain essential in public service.
