The Special Judge, Vigilance, Dhenkanal, today convicted three accused in a misappropriation case involving government funds worth Rs 9 lakh.
Those convicted include Nityananda Mohanty, IAS (Retd.), Former Collector, Dhenkanal, Suryanarayan Das, Former PD, DRDA, Dhenkanal (Retd.), and Satyananda Balasamanta, then Transport Contractor. Each has been sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment and a fine.
The trio had been charge‑sheeted under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and relevant IPC sections for approving inflated transport rates for rice and wheat during 2001‑02, causing pecuniary loss to the government exchequer.
Investigations revealed that Mohanty and Das approved higher rates submitted by Balasamanta for transporting food grains from the FCI godown in Dhenkanal to block and GP headquarters, bypassing prescribed norms of the Odisha Civil Supply Corporation.
Following the conviction, Odisha Vigilance has announced it will move the competent authority to stop the pension benefits of Mohanty and Das.
