Odisha Vigilance nabs Tehsildar with ₹5 lakh, arrests Kujang CHC official for bribe
Synopsis
Odisha Vigilance ran two simultaneous anti-corruption operations on Thursday — intercepting a Sundargarh Tehsildar with ₹5 lakh in unexplained cash and catching a Kujang CHC health official red-handed accepting a ₹20,000 bribe from an ASHA worker he had threatened with early retirement. The cases expose graft at two critical points of public service: land revenue and frontline healthcare.
Key Takeaways
Muralidhar Urmal , Tahasildar-cum-Sub-Registrar of Lathikata , was intercepted on 20 August with ₹5 lakh in unaccounted cash near Rajabasa Chhak, Sundargarh district.
The Scorpio vehicle and the entire cash amount were seized; searches conducted at three locations including his Rourkela residence and ancestral home.
Manoj Ranjan Nayak , Block Programme Manager (NHM) at Kujang CHC , Jagatsinghpur, was arrested after being caught accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from an ASHA worker.
Nayak allegedly exploited an Aadhaar-SLC date-of-birth discrepancy to threaten the worker with premature retirement unless she paid up.
Both accused face action under the Prevention of Corruption Act ; searches were carried out at their residences and offices.
Odisha Vigilance on Thursday, 20 August intercepted the vehicle of Muralidhar Urmal, Tahasildar-cum-Sub-Registrar of Lathikata in Sundargarh district, recovering ₹5 lakh in suspected unaccounted cash — the latest in the state's sustained crackdown on corrupt government officials. In a separate operation the same day, a Kujang Community Health Centre (CHC) official in Jagatsinghpur district was arrested for extorting a bribe from an ASHA worker.
Tehsildar Intercepted Near Lathikata
Acting on credible intelligence that Urmal was collecting large sums of cash from multiple sources, a Vigilance department team placed him under surveillance and tracked his movements. On Thursday, the team intercepted him near Rajabasa Chhak in Lathikata while he was travelling in a hired official Scorpio vehicle from his office to his residence in Rourkela.
'During the interception, cash amounting to ₹5 lakh was found in Urmal's possession, for which he could not provide a satisfactory explanation. The entire amount, along with the Scorpio vehicle, has been seized,' Vigilance officials stated.
Following the interception, simultaneous searches were launched at three locations: Urmal's residential building in Rourkela, his ancestral house at Karamdihi under Sundargarh Sadar police limits, and his office chamber at the Lathikata Tahasil office. Urmal has been detained for further interrogation.
Kujang CHC Official Caught Red-Handed
In the second operation, Vigilance sleuths apprehended Manoj Ranjan Nayak, Block Programme Manager (NHM) of Kujang CHC in Jagatsinghpur district, after he was caught accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from an ASHA worker under his jurisdiction.
According to Vigilance officials, Nayak allegedly threatened to prepone the ASHA worker's retirement by citing a discrepancy between her date of birth in her Aadhaar card and the School Leaving Certificate (17 May 1966) submitted at the time of her appointment. Based on the school certificate, the worker had two more years of service remaining. Finding no other recourse, the complainant approached Vigilance authorities.
Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Nayak red-handed while accepting the bribe. The tainted money was recovered and seized. Searches were subsequently conducted at Nayak's residence at Gopalpur (Rajnagarpatna) under Sadar police limits in Cuttack district and at his office room at Kujang CHC. Nayak has been formally arrested.
Pattern of Vigilance Action in Odisha
Thursday's dual operations reflect a continuing pattern of Odisha Vigilance targeting mid-level government functionaries across departments — from revenue administration to public health. The use of simultaneous multi-location searches is a standard tactic to prevent destruction of evidence. Notably, the Kujang CHC case highlights the vulnerability of frontline health workers — particularly ASHA workers — to coercion by supervisory officials who hold administrative power over their service records.
What Happens Next
Both accused are expected to face proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The searches at multiple premises may yield further evidence of disproportionate assets. Odisha Vigilance is likely to file formal charge sheets following the completion of interrogation and search reports.
Point of View
But they point to a structural problem: mid-level officials in revenue and health departments wield disproportionate discretionary power over citizens and subordinate staff with minimal real-time oversight. The Kujang CHC case is particularly telling — an ASHA worker, among the most economically precarious figures in the public health chain, was coerced using a document discrepancy that the official had no legitimate authority to weaponise. Vigilance traps are reactive; they catch individuals after harm is done. The deeper question Odisha's administration must answer is why document discrepancies in service records are being resolved through informal payments rather than through a transparent adjudication process.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Muralidhar Urmal and why was he intercepted?
Muralidhar Urmal is the Tahasildar-cum-Sub-Registrar of Lathikata in Sundargarh district, Odisha. He was intercepted by Odisha Vigilance on 20 August near Rajabasa Chhak while travelling from his office to his Rourkela residence, after intelligence indicated he was collecting large sums of cash from various sources. A total of ₹5 lakh in unaccounted cash was found in his possession.
What was Manoj Ranjan Nayak accused of?
Manoj Ranjan Nayak, Block Programme Manager (NHM) at Kujang Community Health Centre in Jagatsinghpur district, was accused of demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from an ASHA worker. He allegedly threatened to prepone her retirement by citing a discrepancy between her Aadhaar card and her School Leaving Certificate, even though the latter entitled her to two more years of service.
What action has Odisha Vigilance taken against the two accused?
Urmal has been detained for interrogation and his vehicle and cash seized, while Nayak has been formally arrested after being caught red-handed. Simultaneous searches were conducted at multiple premises belonging to both officials. Both are expected to face proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
How did the ASHA worker's complaint lead to Nayak's arrest?
The ASHA worker approached Odisha Vigilance after Nayak allegedly threatened to terminate or prepone her retirement unless she paid a bribe. Vigilance laid a trap based on her complaint and caught Nayak in the act of accepting ₹20,000, which was subsequently recovered and seized as tainted money.
What is Odisha Vigilance's role in anti-corruption efforts?
Odisha Vigilance is the state's dedicated anti-corruption agency, empowered to conduct surveillance, trap operations, and searches against government officials suspected of corrupt practices. It operates under the Prevention of Corruption Act and regularly targets officials across departments through intelligence-based interceptions and complainant-led trap operations.
