In a significant anti-corruption operation, the Odisha Vigilance Department has arrested two former officials of Chitalo Degree Mahavidyalaya in Jajpur district for allegedly misappropriating government funds exceeding Rs 32 lakh.
The accused, Sri Adwaita Prasad Mallick, former Principal (presently posted as Lecturer in Odia), and Sri Badri Narayan Ray, former President of the college’s governing body, were taken into custody on charges of embezzling Rs 32,07,620 meant for a self-defence training programme for female students.
According to official sources, the funds were allocated by the government to empower female students through martial arts and self-defence initiatives at the college. However, investigations revealed that the duo allegedly diverted the money for personal gain, leading to the registration of Cuttack Vigilance Police Station Case No. 40 dated December 31, 2025, under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018, along with Sections 409 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.
Both accused were produced before the competent court on January 2, 2026, and remanded to judicial custody. The Vigilance sleuths are continuing the probe to uncover further details of the financial irregularities.
This arrest underscores the Odisha Vigilance Department’s ongoing efforts to root out corruption in educational institutions and ensure proper utilisation of public funds earmarked for student welfare programmes.
