ASI, Home Guard Driver Caught by Odisha Vigilance While Accepting Bribe in Bhubaneswar

Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Police and a Home Guard driver attached to Mancheswar Police Station in Bhubaneswar for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a complainant.

Bribe Demanded for Returning Mobile Phones

The accused have been identified as ASI Rajesh Kulu and Home Guard Driver Jyoti Ranjan Behera. According to Vigilance officials, the duo had allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹20,000 from a person for returning two mobile phones and extending assistance in a case being investigated by ASI Kulu, who was the Investigating Officer (IO).

Earlier Payment of ₹30,000 Allegedly Taken

Investigations revealed that on June 12, 2026, ASI Kulu had allegedly accepted ₹30,000 from the same individual and returned one of the seized mobile phones.

When the complainant later requested the return of the second mobile phone, ASI Kulu allegedly directed him to hand over another ₹20,000 to Home Guard driver Behera and collect the device from him.

Complainant Approaches Vigilance

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint. Acting on the information, Vigilance officials laid a trap and monitored the transaction.

Caught Red-Handed During Trap

A Vigilance team successfully apprehended both accused while they were allegedly accepting the bribe amount of ₹20,000 from the complainant. The tainted money was recovered and seized from their possession.

Simultaneous Searches Underway

Following the arrests, Odisha Vigilance launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to ASI Rajesh Kulu as part of an investigation into allegations of possession of disproportionate assets (DA).

Further Investigation Continues

Vigilance officials have registered a case and initiated further investigation into the bribery allegations and the suspected accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income. More details are expected as the inquiry progresses.