Bhubaneswar/Rayagada: The sleuths of Odisha Vigilance on Friday apprehended a Tehsildar with ill-gotten cash amounting to Rs 1.15 lakh in Rayagada’s Chandrapur.
According to official sources, on receipt of reliable inputs that Chandrapur Tehsildar Bichitrananda Nayak had demanded and collected a huge bribe amount, and was proceeding towards Rayagada from Chandrapur with ill-gotten cash, a team of Odisha Vigilance intercepted him at Dangasarada on State Highway between Chandrapur and Muniguda.
On seeing the Vigilance team, Nayak, the accused Tehsildar threw the bag containing the ill-gotten cash amounting to Rs.1,15, 000, which was promptly recovered by the Vigilance team in the presence of witnesses.
However, a member of the Vigilance team was left injured after the accused Tehsildar managed to speed away from the scene on his vehicle. The Vigilance team later traced Nayak at Rayagada and detained him.
“The cash Rs.1,15 lakh suspected to be ill-gotten bribe money has been seized. Searches are being carried out at the office and residential quarter of Sri Nayak, Tahasildar at Chandrapur and at other locations. He is being interrogated to ascertain the source of the recovered cash,” the Odisha Vigilance said.
As per sources, while the vigilance team was chasing the vehicle, the Tehsildar threw the bag containing the cash on the road near Dangasorada and reached the Collectorate to attend a revenue meeting. After seizing the cash bag, the vigilance team also reached the Collectorate. As the meeting was underway, the vigilance sleuths waited outside to arrest the Tehsildar, but the latter did not come out even after the meeting.
“The Vigilance team entered the Collectorate and caught the Tehsildar hiding in the washroom. The accused Tehsildar was then him to the office of the Vigilance DSP,” Vigilance Inspector Tarulata Behera said and added that he will be forwarded to the court tomorrow after interrogation.
