Teacher’s Complaint Leads to Accountant’s Arrest in Odisha Bribe Case

Odisha Vigilance arrested an accountant in the Block Education Office (BEO) at Kujanga, Jagatsinghpur district, on Thursday for accepting a bribe from a teacher. The accountant, Suryakanta Swain, was caught in his office while accepting Rs 5,000. The bribe was solicited for processing the teacher’s house building advance of Rs 1,50,000, which had been approved by the government. Swain had been delaying the bill without a valid reason and demanded the money for its release. Unable to find an alternative, the teacher reported the matter to the Vigilance. Vigilance officers subsequently set a trap and apprehended the accountant with the bribe money. The funds were recovered immediately. Following the trap, searches are underway at two of Swain’s locations to investigate the possibility of disproportionate assets. Vigilance has registered a case, and investigations are underway.