Odisha Vigilance nabs Baripada Municipality official taking Rs. 10k bribe for stall allotment

Baripada, May 23: In a significant crackdown on corruption, Odisha Vigilance today apprehended Sri Gopal Krishna Pradhan, Senior Revenue Assistant (SRA) of Baripada Municipality, while accepting a bribe of Rs. 10,000 from a complainant. The bribe was allegedly demanded for processing an application submitted in January 2025 for allotment of a stall in the municipality’s market complex.

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According to sources, the complainant had been consistently following up with Sri Pradhan regarding the status of his application. However, the official reportedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 10,000 to take up the matter. Facing persistent delays and harassment, the complainant approached the Vigilance authorities, leading to a well-planned trap.

Vigilance sleuths caught Pradhan red-handed while accepting the bribe amount. The entire sum has been recovered from his possession and seized as evidence.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to the accused, as part of a disproportionate assets (DA) investigation.

A case has been registered under Balasore Vigilance Police Station Case No. 5/2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Vigilance officials confirmed that the investigation is currently in progress.

Further details are awaited.