Odisha Land Acquisition Officer Arrested for Bribery

Bhubaneswar, November 2 (Daily Kiran) : The Odisha Vigilance Department arrested a special land acquisition officer on Monday in Bhubaneswar for accepting a bribe of ₹3.10 lakh. The officer, Ajay Kumar Garanaik, was caught red-handed while facilitating the release of ₹84.62 lakh in land acquisition compensation to a displaced landowner in Anugola.

According to an official statement from the Odisha Vigilance Department, Garanaik is currently stationed as the special land acquisition officer for the Sambalpur-Talcher doubling railway line project. He had previously been accused of soliciting a bribe of ₹5 lakh from the landowner.

The bribe was allegedly demanded to expedite the release of the ₹84.62 lakh compensation and to assure the landowner favorable consideration for future claims related to the proposed third railway line project.

The department revealed that Garanaik had requested a total of ₹5.10 lakh from the complainant. On October 27, he received ₹2 lakh, demanding the remaining ₹3.10 lakh to be paid immediately. He also threatened the landowner, stating that without the bribe, he would obstruct future land acquisition for the railway project.

Frustrated by Garanaik’s demands and threats, the complainant reported the matter to the vigilance authorities. Acting on the complaint, a team from the Odisha Vigilance Department apprehended Garanaik near a B.Ed college in Anugola while he was accepting the remaining bribe amount.

The officers seized ₹3.10 lakh in cash from Garanaik. Following the successful arrest, simultaneous searches were conducted at three locations linked to him, as he is suspected of holding assets beyond his known income sources.

A case has been registered at the Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018. The investigation into Garanaik’s activities is ongoing, and a detailed report will be submitted upon its completion.