Odisha civil servant held for bribery

The anti-graft wing of the Odisha police on Tuesday nabbed an Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer while receiving Rs 20,000 bribe from a complainant in Kendrapara district.

The Odisha Vigilance apprehended the Tahsildar of Mahakalpada in Kendrapara district, Siba Mallick (OAS) while taking Rs 20,000 bribe from a complainant to remove an illegal structure on government land that obstructed passage to his (complainant’s) house.

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The complainant had filed an encroachment case in 2024, following which the Revenue Inspector concerned submitted a report in April 2024 to the Tahsildar of Mahakalapada, confirming the forcible encroachment on government land by some miscreants that blocked the common road.

Since then, the complainant had been approaching the accused, Mallick, the competent authority to evict the illegal encroachment, seeking help in removing the obstruction to his access to his house. However, Mallick insisted on a Rs 20,000 bribe to issue an order in his favour. The accused officer also warned him that the file concerning the issue would remain pending for years unless the bribe was paid.

Left with no other option, the complainant reported the matter to the vigilance authorities, who later laid a trap and caught Mallick red-handed while receiving the bribe.

Simultaneous searches are currently underway at six locations linked to Mallick from the disproportionate asset angle. The arrested OAS officer has been booked under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and will be later forwarded to court.