Odisha Pharmacy Council Official, Associate Arrested for Taking Rs 9,000 Bribe

The accused have been identified as Biswamohan Pattnaik alias Raja, serving as Senior Assistant at the Odisha Pharmacy Council in Bhubaneswar, and his associate Md. Izaz Khan alias Prusty.

According to vigilance officials, the applicant had been pursuing the issuance of the Pharmacy Registration Certificate for nearly a week and had repeatedly approached Pattnaik for verification of documents and completion of the registration process. However, the official allegedly demanded Rs 9,000 to facilitate the necessary formalities and process the certificate.

Officials stated that when the applicant met Pattnaik outside the Odisha Pharmacy Council office in Bhubaneswar, the accused allegedly repeated the demand and instructed him to hand over the money to Khan. Unable to proceed without paying the bribe, the applicant reported the matter to Odisha Vigilance authorities and sought action against those involved.

Acting on the complaint, vigilance officials laid a trap and apprehended both Pattnaik and Khan while they were allegedly accepting the bribe amount from the applicant. The entire tainted sum of Rs 9,000 was recovered and seized in the presence of witnesses. Following the operation, both accused were taken into custody and later produced before the court.

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Subsequently, vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at locations linked to Pattnaik, including his office and other premises, to probe possible disproportionate assets and examine his financial dealings. Authorities said the searches were part of the ongoing investigation into the case.

The Times of India reports that the arrests were made as part of Odisha Vigilance's continued drive against corruption in public offices and regulatory institutions, with officials emphasizing that complaints from citizens play a key role in exposing such practices.

A case has been registered at the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway to ascertain all aspects of the alleged bribery case and identify any additional evidence that may emerge during the probe.