An agriculture officer held taking bribe has emerged from Ganjam, Odisha, where Vigilance officials allegedly caught a senior agriculture officer accepting Rs 15,000.

An agriculture officer held taking bribe case has come to light in Odisha after Vigilance officials arrested Ganjam's Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO) Byomkesh Mishra for allegedly accepting Rs 15,000 from a beneficiary seeking the release of a farm subsidy. The officer was reportedly caught red handed during a trap operation in Berhampur.

Officer Allegedly Demanded ₹15,000

According to Odisha Vigilance, the complainant was a beneficiary under the Mukhya Mantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY) and had been seeking the processing of his subsidy file. The beneficiary's project was eligible for a subsidy of around Rs 20 lakh with the scheme providing 50% of the invested amount as subsidy under the applicable guidelines.

The complainant allegedly approached Mishra to get the file processed but claimed that repeated requests did not result in action. He subsequently reported the alleged demand to Vigilance authorities.

Vigilance Team Sets Up Trap

Following verification of the complaint, Vigilance officials arranged a trap. The team allegedly caught Mishra while he was accepting the Rs 15,000 from the beneficiary.

Vigilance SP (Berhampur) Pradeep Pradhan said the entire bribe amount was seized during the operation. The arrest makes Mishra the first Class I government officer to be arrested in a trap case by the Berhampur Vigilance division this year, according to officials. The Vigilance authorities said the operation was carried out after confirming the alleged bribe demand.

Searches Conducted at Three Locations

The investigation did not stop with the arrest. Vigilance teams subsequently conducted searches at three locations linked to Mishra, including his office chamber in Berhampur as well as locations in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

Officials said the searches were intended to determine whether the accused possessed any alleged ill gotten or disproportionate assets. At the time of the report, authorities had not completed their assessment of the properties and other findings from the searches.

Why the Case Matters?

The case has drawn attention because the alleged bribe was connected to the processing and release of an agricultural subsidy. Such schemes are intended to support farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs, making timely processing of eligible applications particularly important.

Business Fortune believes that the arrest also highlights the role of vigilance trap operations in investigating alleged corruption involving government officials. The allegations against Mishra remain subject to the ongoing investigation and legal proceedings.

 

FAQs

Who was arrested in the Odisha bribe case?

Ganjam Chief District Agriculture Officer Byomkesh Mishra was arrested by Odisha Vigilance, according to officials.

How much bribe was allegedly accepted?

Vigilance officials said Mishra was caught accepting Rs 15,000.

Why was the alleged bribe demanded?

The alleged payment was linked to processing a beneficiary's file and facilitating the release of a subsidy under the Mukhya Mantri Krushi Udyog Yojana.

Where did the arrest take place?

The Vigilance trap was carried out in Berhampur, Ganjam district, Odisha.

Were searches conducted after the arrest?

Yes. Vigilance teams searched three locations including Mishra's office chamber and premises in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar as part of the investigation.