Bhubaneswar, July 8 -- A senior mining official in Odisha was caught red handed by the Vigilance Department on Tuesday while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a leaseholder in Koraput district.

The accused has been identified as Satyajit Rout, Deputy Director (Geology) cum Deputy Director of Mines, Jeypore. He had allegedly demanded the money to extend the lease period of a sand source and provide assistance in future spot auctions.

According to Vigilance, the leaseholder approached the agency after Rout allegedly demanded Rs 2 lakh for extending the lease beyond its expiry and facilitating future benefits in sand source spot auctions.

Based on the complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap and caught Rout while he was alle...