Sambalpur, Sept 17: In a swift operation earlier on Wednesday, Odisha Vigilance officials apprehended two staff members of the Block Education Office (BEO) in Rengali for allegedly accepting a bribe from a fellow employee.

The accused, identified as Dusmanta Kumar Sahu, Junior Assistant, and Gopabandhu Sahu, Peon, were caught red-handed while accepting ₹7,000 — the first installment of an overall ₹25,000 bribe demand. The bribe was solicited for processing the complainant’s salary and arrears.

According to Vigilance sources, Dusmanta Kumar Sahu had allegedly developed a pattern of demanding bribes from teachers and other staff to process their legitimate dues. In this case, he demanded ₹7,000 to initiate the salary drawl and an additional ₹18,000 for arrears clearance. When the complainant expressed financial difficulty, Sahu agreed to accept ₹7,000 upfront, with the remaining ₹18,000 to be paid later.

Distressed by the demand, the complainant alerted Vigilance authorities, who laid a trap and caught the accused accepting the bribe through the peon, Gopabandhu Sahu. The entire tainted amount was recovered and seized in the presence of witnesses.

Following the arrest, simultaneous searches were launched at three premises linked to Dusmanta Kumar Sahu and one associated with Gopabandhu Sahu to investigate disproportionate assets. A case has been registered under Vigilance PS Case No. 18/2025, U/s 7/12 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

The investigation is ongoing.