Vigilance begins probe into 'sting' operation

A day after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a vigilance probe into the alleged demand of bribe from industries purportedly by four ruling BJD MLAs, the anti-corruption wing of Odisha Police today formed five teams to investigate the matter.
Patnaik had asked the vigilance department after a private news channel aired a sting operation purportedly showing four BJD MLAs making deal with an undercover person posing as an industrialist.
Vigilance Director RP Sharma said five teams have been formed initially to probe the incident with each team given specific job.
"We have started the probe. If necessary, more teams will be formed," he said adding that the department will chalk out a procedure to reveal truth in the allegation.

Stating that the prime objective of the team is to conduct an impartial probe, Sharma said the Vigilance team will collect the audio and video clippings flashed in the media and send them for forensic test as it is required for the legal point of view to verify the authenticity of the tapes.
Persons resembling the four BJD law makers were allegedly demanding money from industries for helping them to set up industries in their respective constituencies in the unauthenticated clips of a purported sting operation aired in media.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, four BJD MLAs - Susant Kumar Behera, Seemarani Nayak, Bijay Kumar Nayak and Anam Nayak, said that the vigilance probe would bring truth to the fore.

The four MLAs said as they belong to Dalit and tribal communities, they have been trapped.