Bhawanipatna: Senior Clerk Nabbed by Odisha Vigilance for Accepting ₹20,000 Bribe to Process Pension Papers

Bhawanipatna: In a major crackdown on corruption, Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Sri T. Bhenkatagiri Rao, Senior Clerk of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWS&S) Division, Bhawanipatna, while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from a retired employee in exchange for processing his pension file.

According to official sources, the complainant, a retired staffer of the same office who superannuated on March 31, 2024, had repeatedly requested Rao to prepare his pension documents. However, the accused allegedly demanded ₹20,000 to forward the file for sanctioning pensionary benefits.

Aggrieved by the demand, the retired employee reported the matter to Vigilance authorities, leading to a well-planned trap. The Vigilance team caught Rao red-handed at his government quarters in Bhawanipatna while taking the bribe.

On spotting the Vigilance officers, Rao reportedly tried to throw the tainted cash out of the window, but the team quickly intervened, recovered the full amount, and seized the money as evidence.

Following the successful operation, simultaneous searches were launched at three locations linked to Rao to verify disproportionate assets.

A case has been registered under Koraput Vigilance P.S. Case No. 34 dated 12.11.2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Further investigation is underway.