In a significant development, Kushal Chandra Chatterjee, a former Junior Town Planner with the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), was convicted today by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.
The Odisha Vigilance Department charged Chatterjee under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(d)/7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for demanding and accepting a bribe from a complainant in exchange for approving a residential building plan. The court sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine, sending a strong message about the importance of accountability in public service.
The case stems from an incident where Chatterjee, an outsourced employee at the BDA, allegedly solicited illegal gratification to facilitate the approval of a construction plan for a complainant’s residential plot. Following a complaint, the Odisha Vigilance Department conducted a thorough investigation, leading to his arrest and subsequent charge-sheeting.
