Suspended Odisha IAS officer claims innocence, says ‘falsely implicated’ in bribery case

Bhubaneswar: Suspended IAS officer Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya today broke his silence following his arrest in a bribery case. Upadhyaya, the Director of Horticulture department, said he has been falsely implicated by some staff of his department.

While being taken to the Special Vigilance Court, Bijay Ketan told mediapersons, “I have been falsely accused in the bribery case by some staff of my department including a top level official to settle scores.”

After being produced in the Special Vigilance Court, a bail plea moved by Bijay Ketan was rejected. The court sent him to Jharapada jail in Bhubaneswar.

Later the court allowed Vigilance to take Bijay Ketan on a five-day remand for interrogation.

While being taken on remand, Bijay Ketan said, “As the matter is sub-judice, I cannot comment on it.”

Yesterday Santosh Kumar Pattnayak, the relationship manager of Bapuji Nagar branch of YES Bank in Bhubaneswar, was apprehended in front of his office while accepting the bribe from a sprinkler irrigations systems supplier, a vigilance statement said.

The bank personnel had been receiving bribes from different companies, dealers and suppliers on behalf of the 2009-batch IAS officer, the statement added.

The bank personnel, who was arrested by Vigilance was produced in the Special Vigilance Court today. Accepting a prayer made by Vigilance, the court also granted the bank personnel’s remand for interrogation.