Village Agriculture Worker Caught Taking ₹20,000 Bribe in Angul

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday arrested Biswanath Das, a Village Agriculture Worker (VAW) under Kishorenagar block in Angul district, while he was accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from an empanelled NGO.

According to officials, Das—posted at Kadalimunda, Raniakota, and Dhaurapalli gram panchayats—had demanded the money to countersign utilization certificates related to the distribution of seeds and pesticides to farmers. The countersignature was required for clearance of bills.

The complainant, unwilling to pay, reported the matter to Vigilance authorities. Acting on the complaint, a team laid a trap and caught Das red-handed while receiving the bribe. The entire amount, treated with phenolphthalein powder, was recovered from his possession in the presence of witnesses.

Following the arrest, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to Das to investigate possible disproportionate assets.

A case has been registered at Cuttack Vigilance Police Station (Case No. 28 dated 08.09.2025) under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is in progress.