Bhubaneswar, Sept 10: In a significant operation on Tuesday, the Odisha Vigilance apprehended Biswanath Das, a Village Agriculture Worker (VAW) stationed at the Kishorenagar block in Angul district, for accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from an empanelled NGO.
According to an official press release, Das, who was responsible for the Kadalimunda, Raniakota, and Dhaurapalli gram panchayats, had demanded the bribe to countersign utilization certificates related to the distribution of seeds and pesticides to local farmers. This countersignature was crucial for the clearance of bills.
When the complainant could not meet Das's demand, they reached out to the Vigilance authorities. In response, the Vigilance team swiftly set up a trap and caught Das red-handed while he was receiving the ₹20,000 bribe. The amount, which had been treated with phenolphthalein powder for detection, was recovered from his possession and seized in the presence of witnesses.
In addition to the arrest, simultaneous searches were conducted at two properties linked to Das as part of an ongoing investigation into disproportionate assets (DA).
A case has been registered at the Cuttack Vigilance Police Station (Case No. 28 dated 08.09.2025) under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigations are underway.
