Kendrapara: Odisha Vigilance Monday caught red-handed a school headmaster in Kendrapara district while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a staff member, officials said.
The accused, identified as Raghunath Das, was serving as the officiating headmaster of a high school at Chadeiguan near Mahakalpada.
According to officials, the complainant, a newly-appointed staffer, had not received his salary since joining the school in August 2025.
The employee had allegedly approached the headmaster several times, requesting him to furnish the attendance sheet to the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) in the office of the District Education Officer (DEO), Kendrapara, for the release of pending salary arrears.
However, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 5,000 to facilitate the process, officials said.
Following a complaint, vigilance officials laid a trap and caught Das red-handed while allegedly accepting the bribe amount from the complainant.
The entire tainted money was recovered from his possession and seized, they said.
Simultaneous searches were also being carried out at two locations linked to the accused on suspicion of possession of disproportionate assets.
A case has been registered at Cuttack Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigation is underway, officials said.
PTI