Vigilance / Odisha Vigilance apprehends Phulnakhara Deputy Ranger while accepting Rs 1 lakh bribe

Bhubaneswar, Oct 29: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Mousumi Behera, Deputy Ranger of Phulnakhara under the City Forest Division in Bhubaneswar, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a staff member of the same range in exchange for releasing pending bills for plantation maintenance.

According to Vigilance, Behera had demanded the bribe to release payments for the maintenance of three plantation sites between July and September 2026. The work included watch and ward, watering and fertiliser application. She allegedly threatened not to release bills for the coming months if the staff member failed to pay the demanded amount.

Unable to meet the demand, the staff member approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and apprehended Behera while she was allegedly accepting the money.

The entire tainted amount of Rs 1 lakh was recovered from her possession and seized, officials said.

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Simultaneous Searches Underway
Following the trap, Odisha Vigilance launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to Behera to investigate allegations of possession of assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.

In connection with the case, the Vigilance Cell Police Station registered a case dated October 28, 2026, under Section-7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

The investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.