The Vigilance police have arrested two forest personnel on the charge of demanding and accepting bribe in the Khariar Forest Division of Nuapada district.
The accused were identified as Purna Chandra Nayak (48), Forester of Liad section at Kopia under Sinapali Range, and Forest Guard of the same section SabnamFirdosh (34). Nayak was caught while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 28,000 through Firdosh for release of a complainant’s seized motorcycle and some timber.
The complainant GaganMeher of Kirakiti village under the Khariar police limits was going by his two-wheeler with timber for making a bed cot when he was intercepted by Nayak and Firdosh at Sinapali and asked to cough up Rs 30,000 for release of his seized motorbike and the wood.
Meher complied with the demand. Firdosh as per direction of Nayak, received the bribe money of Rs 28,000. But Meher later filed a complaint in the local Vigilance office, after which a team led by Nuapada Vigilance DSP DinabandhuBehera, his Bhawanipatna counterpart SadanandPani, Inspectors PramilaSuna and AlokMahapatra arrested Nayak and Firdosh.
The accused duo was taken to the Bhawanipatna Vigilance office for further interrogation. The bribe money was recovered from Firdosh and a case registered against the two. Searches were conducted at the office and residences of both accused.
