Bhubaneswar, March 20: An Assistant Director, Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency(ORDA) has been caught red-handed with bribe by Vigilance on Sunday.

The senior Engineer, identified as Simadri Srikanta Rao, Asst. Director (Technical), OREDA was held for receiving Rs 10,000 bribe.

Rao was receiving the bribe to sign a performance certificate of a private firm.

According to Vigilance officials, Rao demanded a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the executive of an agency for clearing the pending dues of installation of a 60KW solar project. However, the vigilance sleuths apprehended him while he was receiving an advance of Rs 10,000 as advance of the said amount. The bribe amount was recovered from Rao’s possession and later seized, during the raid.

Following the arrest, simultaneous searches were launched at three locations linked to Rao, to probe possible disproportionate assets amassed by him.