Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance has arrested Mousumi Behera, Deputy Ranger of the Phulnakhara Range, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh from an employee working under her jurisdiction.
According to official sources, Behera had allegedly demanded the money in exchange for clearing pending official bills relating to maintenance, watch and ward services, water supply and fertilisers for three plantation sites for the period from July to September 2026.
The complainant alleged that the Deputy Ranger had threatened to withhold the processing and clearance of future bills if the bribe demand was not met. Following the alleged coercion, the employee approached the Odisha Vigilance Directorate and lodged a formal complaint.
Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance trap team laid an operation and reportedly caught Behera red-handed while she was accepting the alleged bribe amount of ₹1 lakh.
Following her arrest, Odisha Vigilance launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to the accused officer to investigate possible possession of assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.
A case has been registered at the Vigilance Cell Police Station under Case No. 09 dated October 28, 2026, invoking Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Further investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged bribery and examine the financial assets of the accused officer.
The arrest forms part of Odisha Vigilance’s ongoing action against alleged corruption in government departments.
-OdishaAge
