Rourkela: Madan Mohan Pradhan (53), assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Lahunipada police station in Sundargarh district, and his associate Mandeep Kumar Dasmodak (50), a tea vendor, were arrested by Odisha Vigilance late on Saturday night while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 20,000 from an eatery owner to not arrest him and help him in an excise case against him and his younger brother.“ASI Pradhan threatened the eatery owner to pay the demanded bribe and if it was not paid to him, he (ASI Pradhan) would arrest and forward him to the court. ASI Pradhan even was pressurising the eatery owner through his associate Mandeep Kumar Dasmodak to pay the bribe. Finding no other means, the eatery owner reported the matter to us,” a vigilance official said.Based on the complaint, a trap was laid on Saturday night, wherein Pradhan and Dasmodak were nabbed for demanding and taking undue advantage of Rs 20,000. The entire bribe money was recovered in the presence of witnesses. Searches were conducted in the residential govt quarter of Pradhan at Lahunipada and house at his native village Mahuldiha under Mahulpada police station limits in Bonai sub-division of Sundargarh district and his office room.
