Odisha Vigilance arrests Govt doctor for allegedly accepting Rs 30,000 bribe
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance has arrested a 35-year-old doctor at a government hospital in Bhubaneswar for allegedly accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe from an NGO worker over pending salary payments.
The NGO had been working with the hospital to help destitute and unidentified patients in the casualty ward. Its staff had not received their salaries for June and July 2026 as their work certificates were reportedly not signed.
According to Vigilance officials, the doctor allegedly asked for Rs 30,000 to sign the certificates and clear the way for the salaries to be released.
Following a complaint, Vigilance officials set up a trap at the hospital. The doctor was allegedly caught while accepting the bribe and was subsequently arrested.
After the arrest, Vigilance officials searched three places linked to the doctor as part of an inquiry into his financial assets.
According to TOI, officials said that the doctor had allegedly been demanding Rs 30,000 to clear the certificate. “The complainant, facing harassment, approached us. We laid a trap and arrested him red-handed while accepting the bribe at the hospital,” the vigilance statement stated.
Hospital authorities said they do not support such acts and that strict action should be taken against anyone involved in corruption. “The hospital does not endorse such corrupt practices. Whosoever has indulged in corruption is liable for strict action,” a senior hospital official said.
The Vigilance Directorate also said it would take strict action against corruption involving medical professionals, stressing that doctors working in public hospitals are expected to uphold public trust.
“Medical professionals are entrusted with public service. Any betrayal of that trust through bribery will be dealt with firmly,” a Vigilance official said, reports The Daily.
The alleged delay in salary payments has also worried NGO workers, who said timely payments are important for staff working with vulnerable patients.
