A significant crackdown on corruption saw Roopchand Naik, a clerk at Nicholson Forest Training School in Champua Block Headquarters, Keonjhar District, arrested by the Odisha Vigilance team for accepting a bribe. The incident unfolded on July 31, 2025, involving a demand for Rs 30,000 from a retired Pian to process his pension.
The vigilance department had set a trap after the Pian reported the bribe demand.
The bribe money was seized from Naik, with subsequent searches at his office and residence ongoing.
Keonjhar has seen recent vigilance actions against officials like the Chief Engineer of Baitarani Basin and a Junior Mining Officer for disproportionate assets.
Recent raids targeted officials including Kailash Chandra Sahu and Padmanabha Hota for alleged corruption and asset mismatches.