Cuttack, June 26: In a swift action earlier today, Odisha Vigilance officials apprehended two revenue officials — Manoj Kumar Behera, Revenue Inspector (RI), and Bichitrananda Satpathy, Amin — both posted at Kandarpur Revenue Circle in Cuttack district, while they were allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹12,000.
The duo was caught red-handed near the Kandarpur revenue office following a complaint from a local shop owner. According to the complainant, the officials had been demanding the bribe to furnish a favorable report in a mutation case involving the conversion of agricultural land to homestead land and issuance of Record of Rights (ROR/Patta). Despite repeated requests over the past month, the officials allegedly refused to act on the application without the bribe.
With no alternative, the complainant approached the Vigilance Department. Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officers laid a trap and caught Behera and Satpathy while they were allegedly accepting the ₹12,000 bribe. The entire amount has been recovered and seized from their possession.
Following the successful operation, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at three premises linked to RI Behera and two properties associated with Amin Satpathy to probe possible disproportionate assets.
A case has been registered under Cuttack Vigilance PS Case No. 17/2025, U/s 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway.
