The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha has arrested Madhusmita Singh, former Executive Officer of Belpahar Municipality and suspended tehsildar of Jamda in Mayurbhanj, in connection with a massive corruption scandal involving misappropriation of over Rs 4 crore.
Singh’s arrest follows the earlier detention of municipality accountant Bibhuti Sahu. The case was handed over to the EOW on August 27 after preliminary investigations revealed serious financial irregularities during Singh’s tenure. She was suspended by the Revenue Department on August 30.
The EOW has now uncovered that even under the current Executive Officer, Gourav Chandra Pradhan, payments exceeding ₹2 crore were made without proper verification of the municipality’s cashbook. Pradhan has been summoned for questioning, and investigators are expected to examine the financial records from the time he assumed office.
The scandal has exposed systemic lapses across multiple departments, including the Treasury Directorate, District Urban Development Agency (DUDA), and the district administration. Observers have raised concerns over how such large-scale fraud went undetected despite regular review meetings.
With the investigation gaining momentum, further arrests and departmental accountability are expected in the coming weeks.
