Jarapada Police ASI Trapped by Vigilance While Accepting ₹8,000 Bribe

In a significant crackdown on corruption, Odisha Vigilance on Friday apprehended an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Jarapada Police Station in Angul district while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹8,000 from a complainant. The accused officer, identified as Sita Nayak, was serving as the Investigating Officer (IO) in a case recently registered at Jarapada Police Station. According to Vigilance officials, Nayak had allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹10,000 from the complainant to facilitate the settlement of the case after both parties had reportedly reached a compromise. When the complainant expressed his inability to pay the demanded amount, the ASI allegedly reduced the bribe demand to ₹8,000. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint against the officer. Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Sita Nayak red-handed while she was accepting the bribe money inside the premises of Jarapada Police Station. Officials recovered and seized the entire bribe amount of ₹8,000 from her exclusive possession. Following the successful trap operation, Vigilance officials launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to the accused officer to investigate possible disproportionate assets (DA). In connection with the incident, Cuttack Vigilance Police Station Case No. 23 dated June 12, 2026, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Odisha Vigilance officials stated that the investigation is currently underway and further details will be disclosed as the probe progresses. The incident once again highlights the Vigilance Department's ongoing efforts to curb corruption in public offices and ensure accountability among government officials.