The Odisha Vigilance department arrested Manisha Mishra, the probationary Sub-Registrar of Baliapal in Balasore district, on Friday for allegedly accepting a Rs 7,000 bribe to register a land sale deed.
Mishra, an Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) officer of the 2024 batch currently serving her probation, allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 from a citizen to register a 0.14-decimal plot categorized as 'Bajyapti Sthitiban' under standard Revenue and Disaster Management guidelines. After the complainant expressed financial distress, the bribe was negotiated down to Rs 7,000.
Frustrated by the constant harassment, the complainant reported the matter to the Vigilance department, which subsequently laid a trap. Mishra was caught red-handed accepting the chemically treated currency, leading to the immediate seizure of the bribe money.
Following the arrest, simultaneous raids were conducted across two locations linked to the officer to probe potential disproportionate assets. A formal case (Case No. 26/2026) has been registered at the Balasore Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigations are currently underway.