Bhubaneswar: On Saturday, Odisha Vigilance apprehended Madan Mohan Pradhan, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police from the Lahunipada Police Station in Sundargarh district, along with his accomplice Mandeep Kumar Dasmodak, a private citizen, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe amounting to Rs 20,000.

The pair was caught in the act while receiving the bribe from the owner of a restaurant. Officials from Vigilance reported that ASI Pradhan had intimidated the complainant, threatening to arrest him and present him to court regarding an excise case involving both the eatery owner and his brother, unless he paid the requested amount. The officer proposed assistance in avoiding arrest in exchange for the bribe.

Desperate for help, the restaurant owner reached out to Odisha Vigilance and filed a complaint. Responding promptly to the information, a Vigilance team set up a sting operation and arrested both individuals during the transaction of the Rs 20,000 bribe.

The full bribe amount was recovered and confiscated. Following the successful operation, Vigilance teams conducted simultaneous searches at three locations affiliated with ASI Pradhan to investigate potential disproportionate assets.

A case has been registered at the Rourkela Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation into both accused is currently ongoing.