Bhubaneswar: An official of Baripada Municipality in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district was nabbed on bribery charges today.

Bhanjapur police arrested Baripada Municipality City Management Mission Unit officer Manoranjan Panigrahi for seeking and accepting bribe from Maa Santosi Women Self-Help Group (SHG) to show it undue favour.

According to sources, the Women SHG had been assigned the responsibility of serving food at an Aahaar (cheap meal) centre in Baripada city. Later, it was alleged that the SHG served poor quality food at the centre.

Panigrahi had allegedly sought Rs 4 lakh from the SHG to cover up the allegations against it and renew the agreement for serving food at the Aahaar centre, sources said. He had allegedly threatened the SHG to blacklist it if the group does not pay the money.

The SHG reportedly provided Rs 34,000 to Pangrahi in the first phase. The SHG had lodged a complaint in this regard with Baripada Municipality Executive Officer Basant Sethi. Sethi had informed the incident to police, sources added.

“We have arrested the accused and initiated a probe into the bribery allegations against him,” said an official of Bhanjapur police.