Hindol official held for taking Rs 10,000 bribe

ANGUL: The vigilance department sleuths on Tuesday caught the block education officer (BEO) of Hindol, Santanu Mallick, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a teacher to clear his salary.
Mallick has been arrested by the vigilance team and will be forwarded to court on Wednesday.
A criminal case has been registered by Cuttack vigilance office against him.
Following this incident, vigilance raids were conducted on three places belonging to Mallick. Raids were conducted at his ancestral place at Bhadrak, office at Hindol block and his rented house at Khajuriakata.
A sum of Rs 12 lakh was recovered from his Bhadrak residence and his rented house. The officials also seized bank and insurance of Rs 10 lakh besides papers of three plots in Bhadrak town.
According to vigilance sources, Mallick had demanded money from a school teacher of Hindol to clear his salary while he was under suspension. The teacher approached the vigilance department officials who led a trap.
Accordingly, early in the morning while the teacher was giving Mallick the money, the officials caught him and seized the bribe money. He was immediately taken into custody and raids followed at the three places.