Bhubaneswar: In a major anti-corruption crackdown, Odisha Vigilance has secured convictions in three separate corruption cases involving government officials and bank functionaries across Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts.
In Kalahandi district, Himadri Kumar Panda, former senior clerk of the M. Rampur Tahasil office and later posted at the District Planning & Monitoring Unit (DPMU), Bhawanipatna, was convicted by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna.
He had been charge-sheeted under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for demanding and accepting a bribe from a staff member to facilitate withdrawal of a General Provident Fund (GPF) advance. The court sentenced him to one year of simple imprisonment along with a fine. The vigilance agency stated it will move the competent authority for his dismissal from service.
In a separate case in Mayurbhanj, three officials of Baripada Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd. and a loanee were convicted in a loan fraud case involving misappropriation of over Rs 15.58 lakh. The convicted individuals include former branch manager Asutosh Mohanty, former chief executive Kantilal Mugree, former bank president Krupasindhu Mohanta, and loanee Salil Agarwal.
According to the vigilance case, the officials sanctioned and disbursed the loan on the basis of fabricated documents and inadequate security, violating bank norms. The Special Judge, Vigilance, Baripada, sentenced all four to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 each. Vigilance will initiate steps for stoppage of pension of the retired chief executive.
In another case, Prasanta Kumar Mishra, former assistant horticulture officer of Nilgiri in Balasore district, was convicted for misappropriation of government funds under the National Horticulture Mission scheme meant for development of banana cultivation. The Special Judge, Vigilance, Balasore, sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. The agency has indicated that steps will be taken to stop his pension following the conviction.
According to official releases, these cases relate to bribery, financial irregularities and misuse of public funds, and the convictions were secured under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
