Odisha Vigilance arrests land acquisition officer for Rs 5.10 lakh bribe
Special land acquisition officer Ajay Kumar Garanaik was caught in a trap while accepting the final instalment of the bribe.
The Odisha Vigilance arrested Ajay Kumar Garanaik, the special land acquisition officer for the Sambalpur-Talcher Doubling Rail Line Project, on Monday. According to reports from The New Indian Express, Garanaik was apprehended for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 5.10 lakh from a landowner.
The officer reportedly sought the money to release Rs 84.62 lakh in compensation for acquired land. He also allegedly promised to provide favours during future compensation processes for a proposed third railway line project.
The complainant had previously handed over Rs 2 lakh to Garanaik on October 27. The officer was caught by a Vigilance trap on Monday while taking the remaining Rs 3.10 lakh, which was subsequently seized.
Garanaik allegedly threatened the landowner with difficulties in future land acquisition proceedings if the full amount was not paid. This led the aggrieved person to report the matter to the authorities.
Vigilance SP PK Dwivedi stated that the accused was produced before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Sambalpur, and has been remanded to judicial custody. Officials have also launched searches at three locations linked to Garanaik to check for disproportionate assets.
A case has been registered under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigation is underway.