Bhubaneswar/Puri: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended a forester posted under Delang Range in Puri district while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a tractor owner.

The accused, identified as Rakesh Kumar Panda, Forester of Ankui under Delang Range, was caught red-handed during a trap operation conducted by the Vigilance department shortly after accepting the bribe amount from the complainant.

Forester threatened vehicle seizure, demanded money to allow use of forest road

According to Vigilance officials, Panda had allegedly demanded Rs 25,000 from the tractor owner to allow his vehicle to use a forest road for transporting excavated earth to be dumped on his agricultural field. The forester had reportedly threatened to seize the tractor if it was found using the forest road without prior permission.

Unable to meet the illegal demand and finding no alternative, the tractor owner approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap and nabbed Panda while he was accepting the bribe amount.

The entire tainted bribe money of Rs 25,000 was recovered from the possession of the accused and seized in the presence of witnesses.

Following the successful trap, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to Panda to ascertain whether he possessed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

In this connection, Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station Case No. 11 dated June 17, 2026, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

The Vigilance officials said the investigation is underway and further details are awaited.