Civil service topper from Odisha arrested for ‘taking Rs 15,000 bribe’
Vigilance dept says Aswini Kumar Panda was caught while allegedly taking a bribe after a man who wanted a land conversion approached the authorities with a complaint against him
Aswini Kumar Panda, a state civil service exam topper who was serving as the tahsildar of Bamra in Sambalpur district Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested Aswini Kumar Panda, a state civil service exam topper who was serving as the tahsildar of Bamra in Sambalpur district, for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 15,000.
A Vigilance statement said the officer allegedly took the bribe from the complainant for the conversion of agricultural land to homestead land.
Vigilance officials said the complainant had applied for land conversion with the tahsildar’s office a month ago.
“Panda demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 to allow conversion and issue of record of right (RoR) in favour of the complainant. When the latter expressed his inability to pay such a huge amount as bribe, Panda reduced the bribe amount to Rs 15,000 and threatened to not allow the conversion in mutation case otherwise,” read the Vigilance statement.
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