Rayagada, June 24 (UDN): In a major anti-corruption action, Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday arrested Executive Engineer Prasanna Pattnaik of the Rural Development Department while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a contractor in Rayagada district.

Officials said the arrest comes just a week before the officer’s scheduled retirement, adding significance to the case and highlighting the continued crackdown on corruption within government departments.

According to Vigilance sources, Pattnaik was caught red-handed during a trap operation after allegedly demanding and accepting illegal gratification in connection with official work related to departmental clearances. Following his arrest, vigilance teams conducted simultaneous searches at his residential premises.

During the search operation, officials reportedly recovered additional unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 3.39 lakh, further strengthening suspicion of disproportionate or unexplained assets.

The accused engineer has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. He will be produced before the competent court as per legal procedure.

Vigilance officials stated that a detailed investigation is underway to ascertain the extent of irregularities and to identify whether similar complaints had been made against the officer in the past.

Authorities reiterated their commitment to strict action against corruption, regardless of rank or remaining service tenure, and said further updates will follow as the probe progresses.