BHUBANESWAR: A Team of Odisha Vigilance officials on Friday caught Balangir district’s Chief Civil Supplies Officer (CCSO), G. Prabhakara Patro, red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a rice mill owner for clearing pending bills and placing a new order.
The anti-corruption team apprehended Patro in connection with a case registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Patro had reportedly demanded Rs 1.80 lakh from the complainant for the clearance of pending bills and a fresh supply order of rice. He had allegedly received Rs 1.30 lakh from the complainant six days earlier and was caught while accepting the remaining Rs 50,000 at his office in Balangir on Friday afternoon.
The Vigilance Department registered a case against Patro on Thursday based on the mill owner’s complaint.
Searches were also conducted on properties linked to Patro in Bhubaneswar, Ganjam, and Balangir. “During the house search in Balangir, cash amounting to Rs 4.39 lakh and around 260 grams of gold were unearthed,” said a senior vigilance official.
