Bhubaneswar, Oct 29: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Mousumi Behera, Deputy Ranger of Phulnakhara Range under the City Forest Division, Bhubaneswar, while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh from a staff member of the same range.

According to Vigilance officials, Behera had allegedly demanded the bribe for releasing bills related to the maintenance of three plantation sites between July and September 2026. The bills covered expenses for watch and ward, watering and fertiliser.

She had allegedly threatened not to release bills for the upcoming months if the complainant failed to pay the demanded amount. Aggrieved by the demand and unable to meet it, the staff member approached the Vigilance authorities.

Acting on the complaint, a team of Odisha Vigilance laid a trap and caught Behera while allegedly accepting the bribe of ₹1 lakh. The entire tainted money was recovered from her possession and seized.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Behera to investigate allegations of possession of assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.

In this connection, Vigilance Cell Police Station Case No. 09, dated October 28, 2026, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Further investigation into the case is underway.