Malkangiri, Sep 10: Odisha Vigilance officials on Thursday apprehended Achyut Kumar Pradhan, senior clerk attached to the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Mathili, in Malkangiri district, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹50,000.
According to the vigilance department, Pradhan allegedly demanded the money from a complainant in exchange for providing relief in connection with two Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) cases pending against the complainant’s cousin.
The complainant, reportedly unable to meet the alleged demand, approached the Odisha Vigilance authorities and informed them about the matter. Acting on the complaint, a vigilance team laid a trap on Thursday.
During the trap operation, Pradhan was allegedly caught while demanding and accepting ₹50,000 from the complainant. The entire alleged tainted bribe amount was recovered from his possession and subsequently seized by the vigilance officials.
Following the trap, Odisha Vigilance officials have launched simultaneous searches at Pradhan’s residential locations to investigate possible possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
In connection with the case, Koraput Vigilance Police has registered a case against Pradhan under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
