Bhubaneswar: A senior tax official in Odisha was arrested by the Vigilance department on Wednesday after being caught accepting a bribe from a businessman. The official, Umakant Mahakur, was apprehended on October 29 while receiving Rs 12,000 to waive a penalty for the businessman, who had failed to pay professional tax over three financial years. The total due amount for the professional tax was Rs 7,500, calculated at Rs 2,500 per year. Due to the non-payment, Mahakur issued a notice demanding Rs 23,600, which included tax, fine, and interest. The businessman approached Mahakur to settle for just the tax amount, but Mahakur insisted on a bribe of Rs 12,000 to overlook the fine and interest.
The businessman, unwilling to comply, reported the situation to the Vigilance authorities, who subsequently organized a trap on October 29. During the operation, Mahakur was caught in his office accepting the bribe, and the money was recovered in front of witnesses. Following the incident, the Vigilance conducted searches at Mahakur’s government residence in Subarnapur, his personal house in Bolangir, and his office in Titlagarh. He has been arrested and is set to be presented in court on Thursday. A case was filed on October 28 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
