Odisha Vigilance has arrested four forest officials from the Jaypatana Range in Kalahandi South Forest Division for misappropriating funds intended for afforestation efforts.
The accused allegedly diverted government funds into fictitious labour accounts and falsified records, resulting in an estimated loss of ₹79.54 lakh during the 2023-24 financial year.
The arrested officials—Deputy Ranger Sairendri Bag, Foresters Umesh Rout and Debraj Sunani, and Forest Guard Ashok Kumar Sahu—were found to have manipulated afforestation records across multiple plantation sites, leaving a significant shortfall in actual tree planting. An extensive investigation involving multiple vigilance teams uncovered the discrepancies, leading to the arrests.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fifth accused, Forest Guard Lalit Nayak, while authorities continue to verify the involvement of others. The arrested officials will be presented before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna. A case has been registered under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Odisha Vigilance remains committed to tackling corruption and ensuring that government funds are utilised for their intended purposes.
