Balasore: Vigilance sleuths Wednesday nabbed the Chandipur police station inspector in-charge (IIC) Ganeswar Pradhan and assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Pradip Kumar Mohanty in Balasore district on charges of receiving illegal gratification of Rs 50,000 from a licensed IMFL off shop owner. The anti-corruption sleuths registered a case and arrested the duo, Balasore Vigilance Superintendent of Police (SP) Narahari Nayak said.
The accused were threatening to frame the licensed IMFL shop owner having shops at Balaramgadi under Chandipur Marine police station and at Patrapada in Balasore town if he does not pay them a monthly bribe (extortion) of Rs 50,000. The shop owner was earlier paying them Rs 10,000 but was irked after the cops escalated the monthly amount to Rs 50,000. He contacted the Vigilance officials, who laid a trap to nab the two police officers. The IMFL shop proprietor reached the police station at 3 pm and handed over the bribe amount of Rs 50,000 to ASI Mohanty in the presence of the IIC the Vigilance sleuths who were hiding nearby pounced on them and caught the two red-handed. The entire bribe money has been recovered from Mohanty, said a Vigilance official.
Following their arrest, simultaneous searches were undertaken at various locations of Pradhan, who is also holding the additional charge of Marine Police station IIC in Balasore district, and Mohanty in connection with disproportionate assets (DA). Balasore Vigilance police registered a case (18/2023) under various Sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Section-7 of IPC. Further investigations are on, the Vigilance SP added.