Bhubaneswar, June 18: In a major anti-corruption crackdown, the Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Mancheswar Police Station and a Home Guard Driver for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a complainant.
The accused have been identified as Rajesh Kullu, ASI and Investigating Officer of Mancheswar Police Station, and Jyoti Ranjan Behera, a Home Guard Driver attached to the police station.
According to a Vigilance release, the duo was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 20,000, the final installment of the alleged bribe amount. The money was reportedly demanded in exchange for returning seized mobile phones and extending assistance in connection with a criminal case.
Investigators said ASI Kullu had allegedly accepted Rs 30,000 from the complainant on June 12, 2026, and returned one of the two seized mobile phones. When the complainant approached him again on June 17 seeking the return of the second phone, Kullu allegedly instructed him to hand over an additional Rs 20,000 to Home Guard Driver Jyoti Ranjan Behera and collect the device from him.
Suspecting corruption, the complainant alerted Odisha Vigilance authorities. Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap and apprehended both accused while they were accepting the bribe amount. The tainted cash of Rs 20,000 was recovered and seized from their possession.
Following the arrests, simultaneous searches were conducted at two locations linked to ASI Rajesh Kullu to investigate possible disproportionate assets.
A case has been registered at Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation into the matter is in progress.
