Odisha Vigilance has exposed a decade-long financial embezzlement amounting to Rs 65,90,773 at the office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Dhenkanal.
Officials arrested the principal accused, Sujit Kumar Jena, Senior Clerk, alongside his co-conspirators, Elephant Squad staff member Soumya Ranjan Behera and associate Rashmi Ranjan Swain.
A comprehensive verification of transactions spanning 2016 to 2026 revealed that Jena systematically exploited his administrative access to siphon public funds into personal bank accounts belonging to himself, his family members, and associates.
The diverted funds included salaries for dismissed and absconding staff, retiring employees’ arrears, provisional pensions, establishment pay bills, contingency funds, and fraudulent Travelling Allowance (T.A.) claims.
Financial tracing uncovered Rs 8.72 lakh transferred to Jena’s mother, Rs 10.48 lakh to Behera, and Rs 8.86 lakh to Swain. After dodging law enforcement, the trio was tracked down using technical intelligence and mobile location monitoring.
Following Kataka Vigilance PS Case No. 40/2026 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the accused were produced before the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Dhenkanal.
Further investigation is ongoing to identify additional involved personnel.
