Bhubaneswar: A senior official of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) was caught red-handed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while accepting a bribe in Odisha.

Akhilesh Kumar Verma, Chief Manager and head of the disbursement cell of the MCL's Jhupurunga-Tumulia project, was nabbed by a CBI team while receiving a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a complainant.

Reports reveal that Verma had allegedly demanded Rs 40,000 to release compensation funds sanctioned for a person displaced by the mining project. He had already accepted Rs 10,000 earlier, and was caught during the second transaction late on Wednesday night.

Following the arrest, CBI officials conducted a raid at his office and later brought him to Bhubaneswar for further investigation and legal action.