By Biswanath Dash
BHUBANESWAR: On Monday, Hemanta Kumar Sahoo, Tax Collector/Ward Officer and his assistant Sri Jogendra Pradhan, Ex-Tax Collector (Retired),both of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Ward Office-23, Khandagiri Bari Community Centre, PS-Khandagiri, Dist-Khurdha have been apprehended by OdishaVigilance for demanding and accepting undue advantage (bribe) of Rs.15,000/- (Rupees Fifteen Thousand) from a complainant in order to reduce the holding tax of his house.
Based on the above complaint, a trap was laid on 22.08.2022, wherein both the accused Sri Hemanta Kumar Sahoo, Tax Collector and his assistant Sri Jogendra Pradhan, Ex-Tax Collector (Retired) were caught by the team of Odisha Vigilance in office room at Khandagiri Bari Community Centre, Bhubaneswar while demanding and accepting undue advantage (bribe) of Rs.15,000/- (Rupees Fifteen Thousand) from the complainant.
The entire bribe money was recovered from the possession of both the accused Sri Hemanta Kumar Sahoo and Sri Jogendra Pradhan and seized in presence of witnesses. Right hand wash of accused Sri Sahoo and both hands wash as well as pant pocket wash of Sri Pradhan gave positive chemical reaction, confirming acceptance and handling of bribe money by them. Following the trap, simultaneous searches have been launched on the house of Sri Sahoo at Soubhagya Nagar, Baramunda, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar and office room at Khandagiri Bari Community Centre, Bhubaneswar. Both the accused Sri Hemanta Kumar Sahoo, Tax Collector/Ward Officer and Sri Jogendra Pradhan, Ex-Tax Collector (Retired) have been arrested and are being forwarded to the Court. In this connection, Bhubaneswar Vigilance P.S. Case No.26 dated 20.08.2022 U/s 7 PC Amendment Act, 2018 has been registered and is under investigation.
