Bribery / Odisha Vigilance arrests land acquisition officer in Rs 3.10 lakh bribe trap

Bhubaneswar, Nov 2: The Odisha Vigilance intensified its anti-graft drive on Monday by arresting a Special Land Acquisition Officer who allegedly extorted money from a landowner in exchange for releasing compensation dues worth over Rs 84 lakh.

The officer was apprehended after allegedly catching him red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 3.10 lakh from the landowner for processing compensation related to a railway project.

The accused, Ajay Kumar Garanaik, is posted as Special Land Acquisition Officer for the Sambalpur-Talcher Doubling Rail Line Project.

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According to Odisha Vigilance, Garanaik had allegedly demanded a total bribe of Rs 5.10 lakh from a land oustee in exchange for facilitating the release of compensation amounting to Rs 84.62 lakh and extending favourable consideration for future compensation claims linked to a proposed third railway line project.

In an official statement, Odisha Vigilance said, “Garanaik had demanded a bribe of Rs.5.10 Lakhs from the complainant. He received Rs.2 Lakhs a few days back, on October 27 and demanded the rest, Rs. 3.10 lakhs, to be paid immediately. Garanaik also threatened the complainant landowner that unless he was paid the rest bribe amount Rs3.10 Lakhs, he (Garanaik) would create problems during his future land acquisition for third railway line project.”

Harassed by the repeated demands and alleged threats, the complainant approached Vigilance authorities and reported the matter.

Acting swiftly on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Garanaik while he was allegedly receiving the remaining Rs 3.10 lakh near a B.Ed. College in Anugul on Monday.

Officials recovered the entire tainted amount from his possession and seized it as evidence.

Following the successful trap operation, Odisha Vigilance launched simultaneous searches at three locations associated with the accused officer to investigate suspected possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

A case has been registered at Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Vigilance officials said the investigation is continuing and a detailed report will be submitted after completion of the probe.

(IANS)