Athmallik: Satyapriya Nayak, a senior revenue assistant of Athmallik tehsil in Angul district, was arrested by Vigilance officials on bribery charges Friday. Authorities also seized Rs 20,000 cash from Nayak during the operation. According to sources, Charan Nayak of Kendupati village in Aida Circle had applied for partition of his ancestral land at Athmallik tehsil office. However, the senior revenue assistant allegedly harassed Charan and demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 to process the application. Frustrated, Charan lodged a complaint at the Cuttack Vigilance office, Thursday.
The Vigilance team provided Charan with chemically treated currency notes worth Rs 20,000, which he handed over to the official Friday. Vigilance sleuths raided the location and caught the senior revenue assistant red-handed. The officials seized the bribe money and arrested the erring official. Subsequently, the Vigilance team searched Satyapriya’s office, government quarters, ancestral home in Sapaghara, and his wife’s quarters in Hinjilicut, Ganjam district, where she is employed.
A case was registered at the Cuttack Vigilance office. Athmallik Tehsildar Prasanna Tete stated that a hearing regarding Charan’s land partition case was scheduled for Friday. However, due to the Vigilance operation, the senior revenue assistant was taken into custody