TAHSILDAR BAMRA ARRESTED FOR DEMANDING AND TAKING BRIBE RS.15,000/- IN A LAND MUTATION CASE

Bhubaneswar,12/09: A short while ago, Sri Aswini Kumar Panda, OAS, Tahasildar, Bamra, Dist-Sambalpur has been apprehended by Odisha Vigilance while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs.15,000/- from the Complainant for conversion of agricultural land to homestead land in a mutation case. For about a month, the complt had been requesting Sri Panda, Tahasildar for conversion of agricultural land. But, Sri Panda demanded bribe Rs.20,000/- to allow conversion and issue of RORs in favour of complt. When the complt. expressed his inability to pay such a huge amount as bribe, Sri Panda, Tahasildar reduced the bribe amount to Rs.15,000/- and threatened to not allow the conversion in mutation case otherwise. Left with no other option, the complt. approached the Vigilance authorities, following which, a team of Odisha Vigilance nabbed Sri Panda, Tahasildar, today while taking bribe Rs.15,000/- from the complt. through his office driver Sri P. Praveen Kumar. The driver has also been taken into custody. The entire tainted bribe money Rs.15,000/- has been recovered from them and seized. Following the trap, simultaneous searches are going on at three locations of Sri Panda, Tahasildar from DA angle. In this connection, Sambalpur Vigilance P.S. Case No.17 dt.11.09.2025 U/s.7 P.C. (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered. Investigation is in progress against both the accused persons namely Sri Panda, Tahasildar and Sri P. Praveen Kumar, Driver. Detailed report follows.