Odisha Junior Engineer Arrested for Accepting Bribe: What Happened?

Bribery Incident in Bargarh District

Bhubaneswar: A junior engineer was apprehended for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 from a contractor in Bargarh district, Odisha, on Tuesday, according to a vigilance official.

The female junior engineer had recently started her career with the district rural development agency (DRDA) in Gaisilet block, having joined in January 2024. This marked her first assignment in government service.

She was caught red-handed while demanding and receiving Rs 8,000 from the contractor, which was part of her total bribe demand of Rs 32,000 for processing pending bills related to road improvement work under the MGNREGA scheme.

The total estimated cost for the project stands at Rs 9.50 lakh, with Rs 3.15 lakh already disbursed in previous payments.

According to the official, the junior engineer was requesting a bribe amounting to 10% of the paid bill to facilitate the clearance of outstanding bills. Previously, she had already accepted Rs 24,000 and was now seeking the remaining Rs 8,000.

All the bribe money has been confiscated from her possession.

In the wake of this incident, simultaneous searches are being conducted at two locations associated with the junior engineer.

A case has been filed at the Sambalpur vigilance police station under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and investigations are ongoing.