Odisha land acquisition officer held while taking Rs 3.10 lakh bribe

Bhubaneswar, Nov 2 (UNI) Odisha Vigilance on Monday nabbed a Special Land Acquisition Officer for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 3.10 lakh from a landowner in exchange for releasing compensation and promising favourable consideration in a future land acquisition process in Angul. The accused, Ajay Kumar Garanaik, posted in the Sambalpur-Talcher Doubling Rail Line Project, had allegedly demanded Rs 5.10 lakh from the complainant for releasing Rs 84.62 lakh in land acquisition compensation. He had received Rs 2 lakh on October 27 and was pressing for the remaining Rs 3.10 lakh. Garanaik allegedly threatened to create hurdles in the…