In a major boost to Odisha’s fight against corruption, the Additional Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar, today convicted Tarini Charan Das, a retired Section Officer of the Allotment Section in the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine.
The case, registered under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) and 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, dates back to Das’s tenure when he allegedly demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs 5,000 from an applicant seeking transfer of ownership of a house.
Odisha Vigilance had charge-sheeted the then serving official after thorough investigation. On 14 August 2026, the court found the charges proved beyond doubt and pronounced the conviction.
Authorities have made it clear that the matter will not end with the jail term. Odisha Vigilance will now approach the competent authority seeking stoppage of pension benefits for the convicted retired officer—a strong message that corruption does not pay even after retirement.
This conviction once again underscores the Vigilance department’s relentless pursuit of public servants who misuse their positions for personal gain. For ordinary citizens navigating bureaucratic processes such as property transfers, the verdict offers renewed hope that justice can prevail.
Odisha continues to strengthen its anti-corruption framework, and today’s judgment against Tarini Charan Das stands as a clear warning: no one is above the law.
