Odisha Vigilance Registered 267 Criminal Cases Against 475 Persons Including Govt Officials In 2021

Cuttack: Despite the adverse conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Odisha Vigilance was successful in registering 267 criminal cases in 2021 which is higher than the registration of 245 cases in 2020.

The 267 criminal cases registered against 475 persons include 46 Class- I officers, 40 Class-II officers, 231 Class-III employees, 4 Class-IV employees, 58 other public servants and 96 private persons.

Disproportionate Assets (DA) cases:

Out of 267 cases registered in 2021, 92 cases were instituted for acquisition of disproportionate assets against 111 public servants and 44 private persons. The total disproportionate assets in all the 92 cases stand at Rs.107.60 Crores. 12 DA cases were registered against Class-I officers and 17 DA cases were registered against Class-II officers.

1. This year, DA case involving the highest ever DA amount of Rs. 14,88,91,194/- was registered against Sri Pratap Kumar Samal, Deputy Manager, Odisha Police Housing & Welfare Corporation (OPHWC), Bhubaneswar. Other major cases in terms of DA amount are detailed below:-
2. Prasanna Kumar Behera, Ex-Constable, Police Commissionerate, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack – Rs.6,97,15,057
3. Biranchi   Narayan   Sahoo,   PS   to   Member,   OSSC,   Bhubaneswar   –Rs.3,51,51,921
4. Smt. Kabita Mathan, Anganwadi Worker, Koradakanta Centre, Bhubaneswar –Rs.2,96,39,475
5. Santosh Kumar Das, Asst. Engineer, ITDA, Baripada – Rs.2,80,56,864

Interception cases:

This year, 15 Govt. officers (8 Class-I, 4 Class-II officers & 3 Class-III employees) were intercepted while carrying unaccounted cash of Rs.58,84,525. The major interception cases are as follows;

1. Jayaprakash Mohanty, District Manager, Tribal Development Co-Operative Corporation Ltd.(TDCC), Sundargarh – Rs.18,80,500/-
2. Bidhan Chandra Sahu, S.E., Baitarini Irrigation Division, Salapada, Keonjhar –Rs.10,07,620
3. Rama Chandra Jena, Tahasildar-cum-Sub-Regiatrar, Nimapara, Puri–Rs.4,65,000
4. Pravat Samantray, BDO, Bijepur, Bargarh – Rs.3,50,000
5. Susanta Kumar Sahoo, IIC, Motu PS, Malkangiri – Rs.2,80,000

Trap Cases:

98 trap cases were instituted during the year against 107 public servants and 2 private persons including 15 Class-I officers, 13 Class-II officers, 68 Class-III employees, 4 Class-IV employees, 5 other public servants and 2 private persons for demand and acceptance of bribe amounting to Rs.20.13 Lakhs.

Out of these 98 cases, in 1 case, the amount of demanded money is Rs.1.5 lakhs, in 4 cases, the amount is more than Rs.1 Lakh and in 5 cases, the amount is more than 50 Thousand.

Major cash seizures:

1. Santosh Kumar Das, Asst. Engineer, ITDA, Baripada- Rs.41,77,000/-
2. Pratap Kumar Samal, Dy. Manager, OPHWC, Bhubaneswar-Rs.38,12,900/-
3. Narottam Behera, RO, State Pollution Control Board, Balasore-Rs.16,50,013/-
4. Ashutosh Mishra, Spl. PP, Bhawanipatna. Rs.15,60,140/-
5. Basanta Kumar Pani, Head Clerk, O/o PA, ITDA, Baliguda, Dist-Kandhamal -Rs.13,25,000/-
6. Biranchi Narayan Sahoo, PS to Member, Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC), Bhubaneswar – Rs.12,46,492/-
7. Bidhan Chandra Sahu, S.E., Irrigation, Baitarani Division, Salapada, Keonjhar-Rs.10,07,620/-

Misappropriation cases:

During the year, 77 misappropriation cases relating to misappropriation of public money were registered against 213 persons, including 163 public servants and 50 private persons, involving misappropriation of public funds amounting to about Rs.8.32 Crores. Misappropriation cases were registered against 19 Class-I officers, 10 Class-II officers, 97 Class-III employees, 37 other public servants and 50 private persons.

Submission of Charge Sheet:

During this period, 254 cases were disposed off after investigation, out of which, charge sheets were placed in 244 cases against 551 persons including 54 Class- I officers, 59 Class-II officers, 184 Class-III employees, 9 Class-IV employees, 13 other private persons and 232 private persons. The percentage of the Charge Sheet comes to 96%.

Arrest:

During this period, 175 persons were arrested, which included 23 Class-I officers, 28 Class-II officers, 104 Class-III employees, 2 Class-IV employees, 4 other public servants and 14 private persons.

Dismissal from service:

During this period, 6 Class-III employees were dismissed from Govt. service following their conviction in Vigilance cases.

Compulsory Retirement:

During the year, a significant number of officers have been given compulsory retirement by the Government on corruption charges in pursuance of the policy of zero tolerance to corruption. Some of the notable names include;

1. Ram Chandra Jena, OAS, Ex-Tahasildar-cum-Sub-Registrar, Nimapara, Puri Sri Gourang Charan Mohanty, OAS, Ex-Deputy Collector, Jagatsinghpur.
2. Alphonus Bilung, OAS, Ex-BDO, Ambabhana, Bargarh.
3. Bidhan Chandra Sahu, Ex-SE, Baitarini Irrigation Division, Salapada, Keonjhar. Smt. Meena Patra, Ex-CDPO, Biswanathpur, Lanjigarh Block, Kalahandi.
4. Puspanjali Rath, Ex-CDPO, Th. Rampur, Kalahandi.
5. Ajit Kumar Mohapatra, Ex-Deputy Superintendent of Excise, Deogarh. Sri Pravakar Pradhan, Ex-Cashier, Tihidi Block, Dist-Bhadrak.
6. Pratap Kumar Samal, Ex-Dy. Manager, OPHWC, Bhubaneswar.
8. Narottam Behera, Ex-Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board, Balasore.