Police officer caught taking Rs 2,500 bribe

Vigilance sleuths today arrested a police officer on graft charges after catching him red-handed while taking bribe, an officer said.

The accused has been identified as Sachidananda Samantray, Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Nuagaon Police Station in Nayagarh district.

"He was caught red-handed by the officers of Vigilance, Bhubaneswar Division, for demanding and accepting illegal gratification of Rs 2,500 from Jugal Barada of village Ekatala under Nayagarh Sadar police station area," a vigilance officer said.

Barada, owner of Subhalaxmi Restaurant, was allegedly threatened by the OIC of cancellation of food license of his restaurant. He also threatened to submit prosecution report against him.
 

Vigilance officials said the OIC Samantray searched the restaurant of Barada and found the food license to be valid till February 3, 2018. Thereafter, he demanded Rs 3,000 from Barada as bribe and threatened him to submit a report to the Food Inspector, Nayagarh, for non-renewal of his food license and also submit a prosecution report against him.

When Barada expressed his inability to pay up, Samantray directed the complainant to pay Rs 2,500 as bribe. Barada informed the vigilance department and accordingly a trap was laid today.