Odisha Vigilance arrested a senior government official for allegedly taking a Rs 2 lakh bribe from a leaseholder. The accused, Satyajit Rout, who serves as the Deputy Director (Geology)-cum-Deputy Director of Mines in Jeypore, was caught red-handed by officials. Rout was reportedly delaying the lease extension process and demanding the bribe for future benefits in sand spot auctions.
Following a complaint, Vigilance officials set up a trap and apprehended Rout while he was accepting the bribe. The entire amount was seized in the presence of witnesses. Subsequent searches were conducted at Rout’s residences in Jeypore, Bidyadharpur, and Mahanga, along with his office in Koraput. Cash amounting to Rs 6.90 lakh was recovered during these searches.
In a separate incident, Vigilance officials conducted searches at locations linked to Rabindra Kumar Nayak, a Forest Ranger in Kendrapada Forest Range. Nayak is under scrutiny for allegedly owning assets disproportionate to his known income sources. The searches revealed Nayak’s possession of multiple properties, cash, deposits, a vehicle, and other assets.
