"CBI Officer Charged with Operating Protection and Extortion Racket in Odisha"

CBI Books Assistant Sub-Inspector for Alleged Bribery in Odisha's Coal Sector

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken action against its own assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in Bhubaneswar, accusing him of ruing a syndicate involved in "protection and extortion" in the coal-bearing regions of Odisha.

The accused ASI, identified as Prashanta Kumar Pallei, is alleged to have accepted bribes to protect another accused individual within the coal transport industry. The CBI has registered a case in its New Delhi office, charging the ASI with criminal conspiracy, cheating, obtaining bribes, and being bribed by a private person.

Alongside Pallei, the CBI has also booked Sarada Prasad Sethy, a dispatch officer with Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited. According to the FIR filed on January 28, Sethy reportedly collected bribes from transporters and coal lifters in exchange for favors such as dispatching extra coal loads or providing high-grade coal as low-grade.

The FIR alleges that Sethy operated the bribery racket by paying protection money to the CBI ASI. The ASI, in turn, is accused of regularly accepting bribes from Sethy under the guise of protection and other favors. The scheme allegedly involved using the bank accounts of family members to collect protection money.

The CBI's investigation has uncovered evidence of multiple transactions between June and September 2025. Additionally, the ASI reportedly instructed Sethy to gather information on senior officials from other projects and extract details on contractors and coal-lifters in the area, purportedly to extort money from them.

The unfolding scandal sheds light on corruption within the coal sector in Odisha and underscores the challenges of combating such illicit activities. The CBI's proactive stance in investigating its own ranks demonstrates a commitment to upholding the rule of law and rooting out malpractice.