Ashwini Kumar Panda, the Tehsildar of Bamra in Sambalpur, Odisha, is now in custody following his arrest by the Vigilance department on Friday. He was caught accepting a bribe of 15,000 rupees. The charges stem from a demand for 20,000 rupees made to a farmer for facilitating the conversion of agricultural land to residential use.
The Vigilance team acted upon receiving a complaint and set up a sting operation. This led to the immediate arrest of Panda and his driver, P. Pravin Kumar, while they were in the act of accepting the bribe. The bribe money was subsequently seized.
Prior to this incident, Ashwini Kumar Panda, at 29 years of age, was seen as a rising star in Odisha’s administrative services. Notably, he had topped the 2019 Odisha Civil Service exam without any external coaching. His rapid rise through the ranks made him a figure of admiration.
He began his education at Janakalyan High School and pursued further studies at Ravenshaw University. He later obtained a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from a college in Brahmapur. His professional journey also included a stint in a private sector company in Delhi before he returned to Odisha to prepare for government service.
During the raid, the Vigilance team recovered 4.73 lakh rupees from his residence. The authorities are currently investigating the source of these funds. This incident has caused considerable public reaction, particularly since Panda had previously been seen as a model of hard work and dedication.