Jajpur 21/07(PPT):Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday arrested a Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) in Jajpur district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 5,000 from a poor widow to release the final instalment and bonus amount under the State government’s Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY). The accused, identified as Prafulla Kumar Nath, Panchayat Executive Officer of Kachara Sahi Gram Panchayat under Korei block in Jajpur district, was apprehended while allegedly accepting the bribe from the beneficiary. According to Vigilance officials, the complainant, a widow and beneficiary under the rural housing scheme, had completed construction of her pucca house within the stipulated time. Under the provisions of the scheme, she was entitled to receive the final instalment along with a bonus. However, Nath allegedly demanded Rs. 10,000 from her for releasing the payment. When the beneficiary expressed her inability to pay such an amount, he reportedly reduced the demand to Rs. 5,000 but allegedly threatened not to release the final instalment and bonus unless the bribe was paid. Unable to bear the alleged harassment, the woman approached Odisha Vigilance and lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Nath red-handed while he was allegedly accepting the Rs. 5,000 bribe. The entire tainted amount was recovered from his possession and seized. Following the trap, simultaneous searches are being conducted at two locations linked to the accused to investigate assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. A case has been registered at Cuttack Vigilance Police Station under Case No. 26/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway, Vigilance officials said.