Forest guard arrested on graft charge

A forest guard has been arrested by vigilance sleuths in Odisha's Kandhamal district for allegedly accepting bribe from a person for not taking legal action against him for transporting stones.

A vigilance release said that the arrested forest guard, Manoranjan Amat, posted at Sankarkhola beat house in Tikabali forest range, was caught by the vigilance personnel when he was accepting the illegal gratification of Rs 5,000 from Srimukha Kanhar yesterday.

A fortnight ago, Amat had detected the complainant carrying stones from the forest, in a hired tractor, for domestic use, the release said.

Amat had then intercepted the vehicle and demanded Rs 3,000 as bribe from Kanhar. Kanhar had paid the amount and was asked to pay another Rs 5,000 as bribe, the release said.

The forest guard had also threatened Kanhar that he would be entangled in a forest case, unless the latter paid the bribe, the release said.

Kanhar agreed to pay the amount and reported the matter to vigilance authorities.

Accordingly, a trap was laid yesterday and Amat was caught in his quarter-cum- beat house at Sankarakhola while accepting the bribe from Kanhar, it said.

The bribe money was recovered from Amat's possession and seized in the presence of witnesses.

Amat was arrested and searches were conducted at his quarter at Sankarakhola and residential house at Bandhagada in Kandhamal district.