Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Monday apprehended a Revenue Inspector (RI) of Keshari Nagar RI Circle in Bhubaneswar while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from an applicant to process a legal heir certificate.

The accused official has been identified as Niranjan Singh, Revenue Inspector, Keshari Nagar Circle, Unit-VI, Bhubaneswar.

According to Odisha Vigilance, the complainant had applied online on September 9, 2026, for a legal heir certificate following the death of his mother and younger brother. He had submitted all the required documents along with the application.

The applicant subsequently met Singh three to four times, requesting him to process and forward the enquiry report to the competent authority for issuance of the certificate. However, the RI delayed the process and demanded Rs 5,000 to forward the application.

After the applicant approached the Vigilance authorities, a trap was laid, and Singh was caught while accepting Rs 5,000 from the complainant.

Following the arrest, Odisha Vigilance has launched searches at two locations linked to Singh as part of an investigation into his alleged possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Further investigation is underway.