Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, arrested two government officials in separate bribery cases — one in Baleshwar district and another in Malkangiri district — in back-to-back trap operations that netted bribe money from both accused on the spot.

CDPO caught red-handed in Baleshwar Collectorate

Madhusmita Mohanty, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Sadar, Baleshwar, and In-charge CDPO, Baleshwar Municipality, was arrested after being caught accepting a bribe inside the Collectorate office premises in Baleshwar. Mohanty had been given additional charge of CDPO, Baleshwar Municipality, following the superannuation of the previous officer.

According to the Vigilance statement, the owner of a vehicle engaged on a rental basis with the CDPO, Baleshwar Municipality office since 2024 had submitted pending bills for two months — June and July 2026 — amounting to ₹26,000 per month. Mohanty allegedly demanded ₹5,000 as a bribe to clear the bills for payment. The vehicle owner, reportedly aggrieved by the demand, approached Vigilance authorities with a complaint.

Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Mohanty red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe. The entire bribe amount was recovered and seized from her possession in the presence of witnesses. Simultaneous searches were subsequently conducted at her residential double-storied building in Gopalgaon, Balasore, and at her office room.

A case — Case 16/26 — has been registered at the Baleshwar Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Revenue Inspector arrested in Malkangiri for SC certificate bribe

In a separate operation, Vigilance sleuths arrested Suraj Bala, Revenue Inspector (RI) of Jharapali Circle under Malkangiri Tahasil in Malkangiri district, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹8,000 from an applicant seeking a Scheduled Caste Certificate for his spouse.

The applicant had applied online following the process prescribed by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department and had deposited the requisite fee. Bala allegedly delayed the verification report and demanded ₹10,000 as a bribe. Vigilance laid a trap and caught him red-handed while accepting the payment.

Notably, Bala was previously involved in another trap case — Case 33/2023 — registered at the Koraput Vigilance Police Station, in which he was allegedly caught accepting ₹15,000 to issue a notice in an encroachment case. That matter is currently sub judice.

Pattern of vigilance action in Odisha

The twin arrests are part of Odisha Vigilance's ongoing anti-corruption drives targeting mid-level government functionaries. Both cases involve applicants or service-seekers being made to pay for what are legally mandated, fee-based services — a pattern that Vigilance has flagged repeatedly across districts. The trap method, involving a complaint followed by a monitored sting, has been the agency's primary enforcement tool in such cases.

With Bala's second arrest and Mohanty's case now registered, both accused are expected to face formal charges under anti-corruption statutes in the coming days.