Mancheswar ASI Uses Patrol Driver as Bagman, Walks Into ₹50k Vigilance Trap
A routine case management turned into a criminal bust on Wednesday when the Odisha Vigilance Department trapped an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and a Home Guard driver attached to Mancheswar police station for accepting a bribe.
A routine case management turned into a criminal bust on Wednesday when the Odisha Vigilance Department trapped an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and a Home Guard driver attached to Mancheswar police station for accepting a bribe. The accused, identified as ASI Rajesh Kullu and Home Guard driver Jyoti Ranjan Behera, were apprehended during a meticulously planned sting operation. According to official sources, ASI Kullu had demanded an illegal gratification totaling ₹50,000 to return seized mobile phones and favor a complainant in an ongoing criminal investigation. The operation unfolded in two stages: The First Installment: On June 12, Kullu allegedly accepted an initial sum of ₹30,000 to release the first of two seized mobile phones. The Trap: When the complainant returned for the second phone on Wednesday, Kullu demanded the remaining ₹20,000, directing that the cash be handed over to his driver, Behera. Instead of complying, the citizen alerted the Vigilance authorities. Officers laid a trap, catching both men red-handed as the marked bills changed hands. The tainted money was recovered on the spot.Following the arrests, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous raids across two properties linked to ASI Kullu to investigate potential disproportionate assets. A formal case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.