JAJPUR, Odisha, September 25, 2026: An employee attached to the Sub-Collector’s Office in Jajpur was apprehended by Odisha Vigilance on Friday in connection with an alleged bribery case involving the processing of permission to purchase land belonging to a Scheduled Caste landholder.

The Vigilance authorities identified the accused as Prasanna Kumar Sahani, Junior Revenue Assistant (JRA) at the Sub-Collector’s Office, Jajpur. According to the Vigilance allegation, Sahani was caught while accepting ₹40,000 in alleged bribe money from a complainant in his office.

The case reportedly relates to an application seeking official permission for the purchase of 16 decimal of land from a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste community. Under the applicable government provisions, prior permission from the competent authority is required in certain cases involving the purchase of land belonging to members of protected categories.

Land Permission Application Had Been Pending

According to the complaint received by the Vigilance authorities, the applicant had submitted an application at the Sub-Collector’s Office on November 29, 2025, seeking permission to purchase the land in favour of his mother.

The complainant alleged that the processing of the application was subsequently delayed and that Sahani allegedly demanded money for moving the file forward and facilitating the permission process.

The initial alleged demand was ₹48,000, reportedly calculated at ₹3,000 per decimal for the 16-decimal property. When the applicant expressed his inability to pay the amount, the alleged demand was subsequently reduced to ₹40,000, according to the Vigilance complaint.

The applicant then approached the Odisha Vigilance authorities and reported the alleged demand.

Vigilance Team Sets Up Trap

Following the complaint, Odisha Vigilance officials reportedly planned a trap operation to verify the allegation and catch the accused while allegedly receiving the demanded amount.

On September 25, the Vigilance team carried out the operation at the Sub-Collector’s Office in Jajpur.

Officials said Sahani was apprehended while allegedly accepting the ₹40,000 from the complainant inside his office room.

The entire amount of ₹40,000 in tainted currency was subsequently recovered from the alleged exclusive possession of the accused and seized by the investigating agency.

Searches Conducted at Two Locations

Following the trap, Odisha Vigilance officials also initiated simultaneous searches at two locations reportedly linked to Sahani as part of a disproportionate-assets-related inquiry.

The searches are intended to examine whether any assets or financial records relevant to the investigation can be identified.

The outcome of the searches and any additional findings are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation.

Case Registered Under Prevention of Corruption Law

Odisha Vigilance has registered a case in connection with the alleged bribery transaction. The case has been registered as Kataka Vigilance Police Station Case No. 37/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, as amended in 2018.

The investigation is currently underway.

The authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged demand, the processing of the land-permission application and the circumstances in which the money was allegedly accepted.

The apprehension followed a complaint by the applicant, who alleged that the official had been delaying the matter and demanding money for processing the file.

Further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.

The allegations against the accused are subject to the outcome of the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.