Sundargada: Odisha Vigilance on Monday arrested a Traffic Inspector of the Office of the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Sundargada (formerly Sundargarh), for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a truck owner in exchange for allowing his transport business to operate without interference.

The accused has been identified as Mukesh Kumar Mishra, Traffic Inspector (OMVD), Office of the RTO, Sundargada.

According to Vigilance officials, Mishra allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 from the owner of two HYVA trucks as a "monthly quota" for the months of June and July 2026 to ensure the smooth operation of the vehicles under his jurisdiction without official obstruction.

Unable to meet the alleged demand, the truck owner approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint.

Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap on Monday and caught Mishra red-handed while accepting the bribe amount from the complainant.

Officials recovered and seized the entire tainted bribe money of Rs 20,000 from the possession of the accused.

Following the successful trap, Vigilance officials launched simultaneous searches at three locations linked to Mishra to probe his assets and ascertain whether they are disproportionate to his known sources of income.

In connection with the case, Rourkela Vigilance Police Station Case No. 06 dated August 2, 2026, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Odisha Vigilance said the investigation is underway, and further action will be taken based on the findings of the ongoing inquiry.