Bhubaneswar, July 8 (IANS) Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested a senior state government official who was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a Rs 2 lakh bribe from a leaseholder for extending a lease and facilitating future benefits in sand spot auctions.

The accused official was identified as Satyajit Rout, currently working as the Deputy Director (Geology)-cum-Deputy Director of Mines, Office of the Deputy Director of Mines, Jeypore, in Koraput district. Rout was nabbed by Odisha Vigilance officials on Tuesday night while allegedly accepting a Rs 2 lakh bribe from a leaseholder.

“The leaseholder had already deposited the requisite amount towards the spot auction. However, the accused Rout was delaying the matter without any valid reason. Instead, Rout demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from the leaseholder for the above purpose. Finding no other way, he reported the matter to the Vigilance authorities,” Odisha Vigilance said.

Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance sleuths laid a trap on Tuesday night and apprehended Rout while he was allegedly receiving the Rs 2 lakh bribe from the leaseholder. The entire bribe amount was recovered and seized from his possession in the presence of witnesses. Following the trap, simultaneous searches were launched at Rout’s residential house in Lingaraj Nagar, Jeypore, his houses at Bidyadharpur and Mahanga in Cuttack district, and his office chamber in Koraput.

During the house searches, the Vigilance officials also unearthed Rs 2.90 lakh in cash from his residence in Jeypore and Rs 2 lakh in cash from his house at Bidyadharpur, taking the total cash seizure to Rs 6.90 lakh.

In another case, Vigilance officials on Wednesday launched simultaneous searches at different locations linked to Rabindra Kumar Nayak, Forest Ranger, Kendrapada Forest Range, over the alleged possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

During the searches, the sleuths have so far found Nayak in possession of two buildings, including a palatial four-storeyed building, six high-value plots in a prime area of Baranga in Cuttack district, cash amounting to Rs 2.14 lakh, deposits worth Rs 43 lakh, a four-wheeler and other assets.

–IANS

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