Overview
- Vigilance teams say Sub‑Inspector Sujit Kumar Mahanta was caught accepting a Rs.10,000 bribe to finalise a miscellaneous case and detained after the trap on Wednesday.
- Mahanta attempted to flee on spotting the team and jumped into a nearby pond, where a vigilance constable swam after him and helped apprehend him.
- Officials recovered the Rs.10,000 from Mahanta and seized an additional Rs.1,55,700 during searches of a restroom adjoining Mahulpali police station and other linked locations.
- A chemical right‑hand wash of Mahanta tested positive for traces consistent with handling cash, and Sambalpur Vigilance Police registered Case No. 21/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
- Odisha Vigilance framed the arrest within its broader enforcement work that recorded hundreds of trap cases and arrests since mid‑2024, and officials say ongoing searches and asset verification could expand the probe and affect the officer’s family quarters and service record.