Bhubaneswar: Vigilance sleuths today arrested the Additional Tahasildar of Maneswar in Sambalpur district of Odisha for demanding and accepting Rs 6,000 as bribe for conversion of a piece of agricultural land to homestead plot. 

The Vigilance officials have seized the entire bribe amount from Maneswar Additional Tahsildar Bhubanananda Sahu.

According to the Vigilance, Sahu, an Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) officer, had sought Rs 10,000 as bribe from a private individual for conversion of his agricultural land to non-agricultural (homestead) purpose and issuance of Records of Rights (ROR) in his favour.

Sahu allegedly refused to do the work unless the bribe is not paid to him. The private individual had lodged a complaint in this regard with the Vigilance.

The Vigilance laid a trap and caught Sahu red-handed while taking Rs 6,000 as bribe at his office today. He was later arrested by the Vigilance.

The Vigilance police station at Sambalpur registered a case against Sahu under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches are going on at three locations linked to Sahu to trace any dipropionate assets amassed by him.