Bhubaneswar, Aug 17: Odisha Vigilance on Monday arrested an Assistant Surgeon of Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar for allegedly demanding and accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe from an NGO functionary in exchange for signing work certificates required for the release of salaries of employees engaged by the organisation.
The accused has been identified as Dr Satyajit Behera, Assistant Surgeon at Capital Hospital, the Vigilance department said in an official statement.
According to the agency, the NGO had been engaged by the hospital to assist unknown and destitute patients arriving at the casualty department for treatment. The organisation’s functionary had allegedly been approaching Behera since June, seeking his signatures on the work certificates of NGO employees for the release of their salaries for June and July 2026.
However, Behera allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 from the NGO functionary for signing the certificates. Following the alleged demand and repeated harassment, the complainant approached the Odisha Vigilance authorities and reported the matter.
Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap on Monday. Behera was allegedly apprehended while accepting the demanded amount from the complainant. The tainted cash of Rs 30,000 was recovered and seized from his possession, the agency said.
Following the trap, Vigilance officials launched simultaneous searches at three locations linked to the accused as part of a disproportionate assets investigation.
In connection with the case, Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station Case No. 19, dated August 16, 2026, has been registered against Behera under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
The Vigilance department said further investigation is underway to establish all aspects of the alleged bribery case and examine the accused’s assets and financial transactions.
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