Junior Clerk-Cum-Accountant Caught Taking Bribe Over Arrear Payment Delay In Odisha

Bhubaneswar/Bargarh: Odisha Vigilance on Monday arrested a junior clerk-cum-accountant at Block Education Officer’s office in Barpali in Bargarh district, on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000.

According to Vigilance sources, the junior clerk-cum-accountant, identified as Rajani Kanta Kar, had demanded the bribe from a fellow official in the same office to prepare and process the bill for drawing his pending arrear salary. Despite repeated requests from the complainant to expedite the matter, Kar allegedly refused to take any action without the payment. Frustrated by the delay and demands, the official lodged a complaint with the Odisha Vigilance authorities.

Accordingly, a trap was laid and Kar was caught red-handed in his office room while accepting the bribe amount. The entire bribe money of ₹6,000 was recovered and seized from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses.

Subsequently, simultaneous searches were conducted at Kar’s residential house in Barpali and his office premises to ascertain whether he had accumulated assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

A case has been registered against him at Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigation is underway, the release added.