Secretary of Mahu Cooperative Society caught taking bribe in Vigilance raid
Published By : Bratati Baral
| August 20, 2025 2:59 PM
Kendrapara, August 20: In a major crackdown on corruption, Vigilance officials on Tuesday arrested the Secretary of the Ali Mahu Agricultural Cooperative Society in Kendrapara district while he was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of ₹10,000.
The accused, Dhirendra Mohanty, was allegedly demanding the bribe from a farmer, Birendra Nath of Mahu village, for processing a loan of ₹1.5 lakh. Acting on a tip-off, the Vigilance team laid a trap and nabbed Mohanty during the transaction.
Sources revealed that the Mahu Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS), functioning under the Ali branch of the Cuttack Central Cooperative Bank, has been under the scanner for a long time over various allegations of corruption and financial irregularities. Notably, on June 14, regional daily Prameya had published an investigative report titled “Money Withdrawn from Farmers’ Bank Accounts Without Their Knowledge”, highlighting serious concerns about the society’s operations.
Following Mohanty's arrest, the Vigilance team conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations, including his official chamber, his residence, and a rented house near the Namouja post office.
