Bargarh/Barpali: Vigilance sleuths Monday arrested Balamukunda Pradhan, the headmaster of Kusanpuri High School under Barpali police limits in Bargarh district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 14,000 from a functionary of one local women self-help group (WSHG) to process a file for the release of payment in their favour towards cleaning and night watch duty at the school. The entire bribe money has been recovered and seized from the possession of accused Pradhan.
According to a source, the WSHG which had been outsourced for cleaning and guarding the school premises requested Pradhan to pass their bill. However, Pradhan demanded Rs 14,000 bribe for processing the file to release their payments.
Members of the WSHG brought it to the knowledge of Sambalpur Vigilance and lodged a written complaint. Swinging into action, the Vigilance department laid a trap to arrest the headmaster. As per their plan, the Vigilance sleuths caught Pradhan red-handed while he was accepting the bribe amount. Sambalpur Vigilance DSP Hemamalini Nayak, Vigilance inspector Dillip Kumar Pradhan, Susama Pashayat, ASIs Bijay Kumar Pradhan, Bishnuprasad Jal and Tusharkant Mahapatra participated in the raid. Following the arrest, a case (9/2024), U/s 7 of the PC (Amendment) Act, 2018 was registered in this connection and the accused headmaster forwarded it to Sambalpur Vigilance Court Monday.