Bhubaneswar, March 25: Odisha Vigilance officials have arrested auditor Ambika Prasad Rath on charges of accepting a bribe. The arrest took place on Tuesday at the Regional Director of Education (RDE) office in Bhubaneswar. Rath allegedly demanded and accepted a bribe of 4,000 rupees from an employee of a degree college in Khurda district.
The bribe was solicited in exchange for facilitating the employee’s service verification and salary determination under the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme, which was necessary for the release of the employee’s salary.
Based on a complaint received, the Vigilance department conducted a planned operation. As soon as Rath accepted the bribe, officials apprehended him red-handed within his office. The bribe amount was recovered in the presence of independent witnesses. Additionally, a chemical test on Rath’s hands confirmed that he had handled the cash, corroborating the allegations against him.
Following the arrest, the Vigilance team simultaneously raided Rath’s residence in Madhusudan Nagar and his office. They seized 2,742,900 rupees in cash from his home and 128,000 rupees from his office drawer. The total amount seized reached 2,870,900 rupees, significantly exceeding his known sources of income.
Currently, Rath is in custody and preparations are underway for his appearance in court. A case has been registered at the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Officials have stated that a detailed investigation is ongoing, and further revelations cannot be ruled out.
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