Bhubaneswar, Oct 13: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended Dr. Rajendra Narayan Panigrahi, an officer affiliated with the Port Health Organisation (PHO) in Paradip, for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe from crew members of a shipping company.

Dr. Panigrahi was caught red-handed by the CBI while in the act of receiving a sum of Rs 54,000 in bribe money. The entire amount was successfully recovered and confiscated. CBI officials said that they have recovered Rs 17 lakh in cash and $20558 from Panigrahi. Besides, the agency has also traced documents pertaining to five properties at various places in Odisha and Hyderabad.

It has come to light that one of the primary roles of the PHO is to issue COVID clearance certificates to individuals arriving from foreign countries. According to the allegations, Dr. Panigrahi would demand a bribe ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 from each crew member in exchange for providing them with these certificates.

Following the incident, the CBI conducted search operations at various locations, including Dr. Panigrahi's residence in Cuttack, his ancestral home in Balasore, and his office in Paradip. During these searches, authorities seized Rs 1 crore in cash, as well as assorted foreign liquor, cigarettes, and perfumes of various brands.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing.

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