Bhubaneswar: On Tuesday, Ajay Kumar Garanaik, the Special Land Acquisition Officer for the Sambalpur-Talcher Doubling Rail Line Project, was taken into custody by the Odisha Vigilance for reportedly soliciting and accepting a bribe of ₹5.10 lakh from a local landowner.

The bribe was sought to facilitate the release of a pending compensation amounting to ₹84,62,288 for land that was acquired for the doubling project. Garanaik also promised to ensure favorable conditions for future land acquisitions related to a proposed third railway line.

As per officials from the anti-corruption unit, Garanaik initially received ₹2 lakh from the landowner on October 27, followed by a demand for an additional ₹3.10 lakh. He allegedly threatened to impede future compensation processes for the third railway line if the full amount was not paid promptly.

The distressed landowner, unwilling to submit to ongoing extortion and harassment, filed a complaint with the Vigilance Directorate. In response to the complaint, vigilance officers set up a sting operation near the BEd College area in Anugola, where they caught Garanaik in the act of accepting the remaining ₹3.10 lakh from the complainant. The entire amount of tainted money was recovered and confiscated by the investigative team.

Subsequent to the arrest, vigilance officials conducted simultaneous searches at three properties associated with Garanaik to investigate potential illicit assets he may have amassed.

A criminal case has been formally filed against the officer under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.