Parlakhemundi, Odisha : Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday apprehended two health department employees — Jagdish Pattnaik, Clerk, and Niranjan Nayak, Peon — of the office of the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Parlakhemundi, Gajapati district, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹25,000 from a young medical doctor.
According to Vigilance sources, the complainant, a newly appointed contractual doctor, alleged that the accused demanded the bribe to process his file and issue his appointment letter, despite the fact that the competent authority had already approved it. When his request for immediate issuance of the letter without payment was refused, the doctor approached the Vigilance authorities.
Acting on the complaint, a trap was laid, and both Pattnaik and Nayak were caught red-handed while accepting the ₹25,000 bribe from the complainant. The entire tainted amount was recovered from their possession and seized as evidence.
Following the arrest, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Pattnaik to investigate possible disproportionate assets.
Berhampur Vigilance Police Station has registered Case No. 12 dated 12.08.2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 against both accused. The investigation is currently in progress, and further details are awaited.
