The Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar, convicted Bijay Chandra Mohapatra (OAS-I), Former Joint Secretary (Retired), Agriculture Department, and Benudhar Mohanty, Former Private Secretary (Retired) to the Director, Water Resources Department, Odisha, in a bribery case on Saturday.
Odisha Vigilance charge-sheeted both officials under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Investigators proved that the accused demanded and accepted a bribe from a complainant for issuing a verification certificate for a passport under the Tatkal scheme.
Consequently, the court sentenced them to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fines. Moreover, the judgment underscored the seriousness of corruption charges and the accountability of public servants, even after retirement.
Following the conviction, Odisha Vigilance announced that it will move the competent authority to stop the pensions of both officials. This step, in turn, reinforces the state’s commitment to curbing corruption and ensuring transparency in governance.
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