The Odisha Vigilance Department brought a 17-year manhunt to a close today with the arrest of Binay Kumar Garnaik, a senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer and former Special Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) of the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project in Bolangir.
Garnaik, who had been absconding since 2008, was apprehended at his ancestral home in Kankadasoda village, Parjang, Dhenkanal district, following a tip-off to a special vigilance team.
Garnaik faces 12 corruption cases linked to his tenure from 1998 to 2007, during which he allegedly misappropriated funds meant for displaced families affected by the Lower Suktel project. Among the charges, he is accused of illegally disbursing ₹74 lakh to a family in Chudapali and distributing unapproved compensation to individuals in Gaindapaali and other areas. The vigilance department has filed charge sheets in these cases, which remain under trial at the Bolangir Vigilance Court.
The Lower Suktel Irrigation Project, intended to boost agriculture in drought-prone Bolangir, has long been mired in controversy, with allegations of financial irregularities and delays in rehabilitation efforts. Garnaik’s arrest sheds light on the scale of corruption that plagued the project during his decade-long stint. “This is a significant step toward justice for those cheated out of their rightful compensation,” a vigilance official stated, noting that Garnaik had evaded capture since the first case was registered against him in 2008 (Case No. 61/2008).
Following his arrest, Garnaik was produced before the Special Judge at the Bolangir Vigilance Court. The charges against him include embezzlement and abuse of power, with documented cases spanning from 2008 to 2013. His capture marks a renewed push by the vigilance department under the current BJP-led government to crack down on corruption, following recent high-profile arrests of officials with disproportionate assets.
Local residents and project-affected families expressed mixed reactions. “For years, we’ve fought for justice while officials like him lived freely,” said a displaced farmer from Chudapali. Garnaik’s arrest, after nearly two decades, underscores the challenges of rooting out entrenched corruption in Odisha’s administrative framework.
