Bhubaneswar, Nov 19 (IANS) The Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested two senior officials of the State Excise Department, including the Excise Superintendent of Keonjhar district, for allegedly taking a bribe from a liquor vendor in exchange for allowing him to run his business without obstruction.

The excise officers apprehended by the vigilance were identified as Sitarani Pattayat, the Superintendent of Excise of Keonjhar district and Bijay Kumar Mohanta, ASI-cum-OIC, Champua Excise Station of the said district.

The vigilance sources stated that the accused Pattayat had been demanding a bribe from the complainant since she assumed office a couple of months ago.

“Since taking charge as Excise Superintendent, Keonjhar, 4 months back, Pattayat was demanding a bribe from the licensed vendor as regular payment to allow smooth functioning of his business. Finding no other way, the vendor reported the matter to Vigilance authorities, narrating the harassment by Pattayat,” said a senior vigilance official.

Acting on the above complaint, a trap was laid on Wednesday, wherein the accused Pattayat was nabbed by the team of Odisha Vigilance, along with her colleague Mohanta, who took the bribe of Rs 40,000 from the vendor.

Mohanta received the bribe amount following the instructions of Pattayat over the telephone.

The entire bribe money was recovered and seized from the accused duo by the vigilance officials in the presence of witnesses.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches have been launched on the rented residential house of Pattayat at Keonjhar, her residential house at Baripada town in Mayurbhanj district, the rented accommodation of her spouse at Dhamnagar in Bhadrak district and her office chamber and the residential accommodation of the accused Mohanta at Boisinga in Mayurbhanj and his office room.

Both the accused persons have been arrested and will be forwarded to the Court on Thursday. A case (17/25) has been registered in this connection at the Balasore Vigilance Police Station on Tuesday under Section 7 of the Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

–IANS

gyan/dan