Paralakhemundi: The Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Thursday apprehended two officials posted at the office of Superintendent Engineer, Minor Irrigation, in Gajapati, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 via UPI (PhonePe).They have been identified as Divisional Accounts Officer Suraj Prasad Jaiswal and Senior Assistant Naresh Pattanaik.According to a Vigilance release, the duo had demanded illegal gratification from a contractor to clear pending bills, amounting to Rs 32 lakh, for works executed by him. They were caught red-handed while accepting Rs 15,000 each through UPI transaction from the complainant. “The receipt of bribe money in their respective smartphones has been established,” it further stated.Current simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to the accused duo to ascertain whether they have accumulated assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.A case under Section 7 of PC (Amendment) Act, 2018, has been registered and further investigation is underway, it added.
