An Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer was arrested by the Vigilance sleuths for allegedly possessing properties ‘190 per cent’ more than his known sources of income, an official said.
The arrested OAS has been identified as Siba Mallick, Tahsildar of Mahakalpada in Kendrapara district.
The official said the OAS was on September 23 caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 inside his rest room at the Tehsil Office at Mahakalpada.
According to an official statement issued by the Odisha Vigilance, the officer took the bribe from the complainant to remove an illegal structure on government land, which obstructed passage to his house.
During searches conducted at multiple locations linked to Mallick, the Vigilance officials unearthed four buildings, seven plots, deposits amounting to Rs 18 lakh, Rs 1.55 lakh in cash, and several other movable and immovable assets.
When asked, Mallick failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the possession of the properties, leading to his arrest.
Two cases have been registered against Mallick, one for taking bribe and another for possessing properties 190 per cent more than his known sources of income, the statement added.
