In a significant judgment, the Special Judge, Vigilance, Baripada, on Friday convicted Pabitra Mohan Naik, Former Junior Engineer (Retired), and Suresh Chandra Satpathy, Former Junior Soil Conservation Assistant (Retired), both of the Office of PD Watershed, Deogarh, in a corruption case filed by Odisha Vigilance.
The two were charge-sheeted under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, along with Sections 409 and 120-B of the IPC, for misappropriating government funds by inflating measurements/check measurements of water harvesting structure works during their tenure.
The court sentenced both convicts to two years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 each.
Following the conviction, Odisha Vigilance has announced its intention to approach the competent authority to stop the pension benefits of both former officials.
