Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Sunday arrested the Sarpanch of Nimna Gram Panchayat in Subarnapur district for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a Self-Help Group (SHG) functionary to facilitate the release of a fisheries subsidy.

The accused has been identified as Suryakanti Pandey, Sarpanch of Nimna Gram Panchayat under Ullunda Block in Subarnapur district.

According to Vigilance officials, the SHG had leased a Gram Panchayat tank for a period of five years to undertake pisciculture. The group required the Sarpanch's signature on the agreement papers to complete the formalities and secure the subsidy from the District Fisheries Office.

Investigators alleged that Pandey initially demanded Rs 40,000 from the SHG functionary for signing the necessary documents and facilitating the subsidy release. However, after the complainant expressed inability to pay the amount, the alleged demand was reduced to Rs 20,000 following negotiations.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the SHG functionary approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint.

Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap on Sunday and allegedly caught the Sarpanch red-handed while accepting the Rs 20,000 bribe. Officials recovered and seized the entire tainted amount from her possession.

Following the trap, Vigilance officials launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to the accused to investigate possible disproportionate assets.

A case has been registered at Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway.

Odisha Vigilance said a detailed report on the case will be released after the investigation progresses.