In a fresh case of corruption involving government officials, Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended Kabiraj Sethi, Additional Tehsildar of Belaguntha in Ganjam district, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹10,000 from a tractor owner.
According to Vigilance sources, the incident dates back to February 5, 2026, when the accused officer detained a tractor loaded with sand but failed to officially record the seizure. Despite the vehicle owner submitting all required documents for its release, the Additional Tehsildar allegedly continued to harass him and demanded illegal gratification.
On February 12, the complainant again approached Sethi, during which the officer reportedly collected ₹30,000 towards tax and cess as fine. In addition to the official amount, he allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹10,000 for releasing the vehicle.
Based on a formal complaint, Odisha Vigilance laid a trap and caught the officer red-handed while accepting the bribe amount. The entire tainted sum of ₹10,000 was recovered and seized from his possession in the presence of witnesses.
Officials further stated that the authenticity of the challans issued by the accused is under verification, as discrepancies were found between the office copy and the copy provided to the complainant.
Following the arrest, simultaneous searches were conducted at two locations linked to the accused from a disproportionate assets (DA) angle. In this connection, a case has been registered at Berhampur Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is currently underway.
