Cuttack: A staff at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack was arrested by Odisha Vigilance on charges of taking bribe from a Hepatitis patient for free medicines. 

The accused has been identified as Smruti Ranjan Sahoo, a Data entry operator in the Department of Hepatology at the SCB Medical College and Hospital. 

He was caught red-handed while receiving a bribe amount of Rs 2,000 from the son of a poor patient undergoing treatment at the SCB for Hepatitis C. 

According to reports, Sahoo demanded a bribe from the patient's son for medicines, which are distributed free of cost by the government. He refused to provide the free medicines to the patient if his demand was not met. 

Finding no other way, the patient's son reported the matter to the Vigilance. 

As per the plan, the Vigilance officials nabbed the accused while taking the bribe amount from the complainant. They recovered the bribe money from the accused and seized it. 

In this connection, Cuttack Vigilance PS case no 30/2024  U/s-7PC (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered. 

Following the arrest, simultaneous searches are underway at two locations of the accused to investigate the case from a DA (disproportionate assets) angle.