Bargarh: Officials of the Vigilance department caught red-handed Tuesday Paikamal Assistant Agriculture Officer-cum-Fertilizer Inspector Pranaya Kumar Mantry while he was accepting bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from a dealer. Sources informed that Mantry had threatened complainant Mitrabhanu Sahu of Kermelabahal area to cancel his fertilizer license, if he failed to pay the bribe amount.
With no option left for him, Sahu lodged a complaint with the anti-graft wing of the Vigilance department. After the complaint was registered a trap was laid for Mantry. The accused was then caught red-handed while accepting the bribe at Paikamal at around 8.30am.
After the arrest of Mantry, the Vigilance department conducted simultaneous raids at several places associated with the official. Currently the search is underway at Mantry’s residence at Shailashree Vihar in Bhubaneswar, parental house at Tigiria in Cuttack and office and official quarters at Paikmal in Bargarh district. After completion of raids, it will be ascertained if the government official possesses disproportionate assets, Vigilance sources informed.