Bhubaneswar Medical Officer Arrested for Bribery
Details of the Arrest
A medical officer stationed at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Kaniha was apprehended by Vigilance officials on Friday. The officer is accused of soliciting a bribe of Rs 49,000 from women Community Health Officers (CHOs) in exchange for approving their outstanding incentive payments.
Allegations of Corruption
The 46-year-old medical officer, affiliated with the CHC in Angul district, allegedly demanded bribes from CHOs entitled to monthly incentives ranging between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 under the National Health Mission (NHM) scheme. Reports indicate that the officer sought approximately Rs 3,000 from each CHO to facilitate the release of their dues.
Complaint and Investigation
When the CHOs voiced their inability to meet the bribe demand, the medical officer reportedly withheld their files, causing delays in the disbursement of their incentives. Following persistent harassment, the women CHOs filed a formal complaint with the Odisha Vigilance last week.
In response to the complaint, Vigilance officials executed a coordinated operation. Sixteen CHOs agreed to collectively hand over Rs 49,000 to the accused as part of the sting operation.
Operation Outcome
During the operation at the CHC, officials caught the doctor red-handed while he was accepting the bribe. Following his arrest, simultaneous searches were conducted at his government quarters in Kaniha, his wife’s rented residence in Rourkela, and his office chamber. All of the bribed money was recovered and seized.
Legal Proceedings
As a result of this incident, Cuttack Vigilance PS Case No- 02 dated 15.01.2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been filed against the accused. The investigation is currently ongoing, as reported by Around Odisha.
Related Case
In a separate incident, a Jaipur-based doctor working as an Ayushman Bharat investigator was arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 11 lakh from Siddhivinayak Hospital in Bhilwara for clearing its Ayushman Arogya Yojana bills.