Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance Department on Sunday arrested a woman sarpanch (head of the self-help group) in Subarnapur district for accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a self-help group (SHG).
The accused, Surya Kanti Pandey, sarpanch of Nimna Gram Panchayat in Ulunda block of Subarnapur district, was allegedly caught accepting Rs 20,000 for signing agreement papers for fish farming in a gram panchayat tank and helping the SHG secure the release of subsidies from the District Fisheries Office in favor of the SHG. Officials said the SHG had leased the GP tank for five years for fish farming. Officials said the sarpanch initially demanded Rs 40,000 from the SHG official but later reduced the amount to Rs 20,000 after the complainant expressed his inability to pay the original demand.
The complainant then contacted the Odisha Vigilance Department, following which a trap was laid. The accused was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of ₹20,000. The officer stated that the entire amount was recovered from him and confiscated.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to the accused to investigate his disproportionate assets.
In this regard, Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station Case No. 10, dated June 4, 2026, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation is ongoing.
