Bhubaneswar: A woman sarpanch was apprehended by Odisha Vigilance Sunday for allegedly accepting Rs 20,000 bribe from a self-help group (SHG) in Subarnapur district.
The accused, Suryakanti Pandey, sarpanch of Nimna Gram Panchayat under Ullunda block in Subarnapur district, was allegedly caught while accepting Rs 20,000 to sign agreement papers for pisciculture in a Gram Panchayat tank and facilitate the release of a subsidy from the District Fisheries Office in favour of the SHG. The SHG had leased the GP tank for five years for pisciculture, officials said.
Officials said the sarpanch had initially demanded Rs. 40,000 from the SHG functionary but later reduced the amount to Rs. 20,000 after the complainant expressed inability to pay the original demand.
The complainant subsequently approached Odisha Vigilance, following which a trap was laid. The accused was allegedly caught while accepting the Rs. 20,000 bribe. The entire tainted amount was recovered from her possession and seized, the official added.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to the accused to investigate assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.
In this connection, Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station Case No. 10 dated June 4, 2026, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation is in progress.
PNN
