Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance sleuths arrested Pradip Kumar Mohanty, a retired headmaster accused of Rs 5.56 crore misappropriation today.
As per reports, Pradip and his wife Gitarani Mohanty were on the run, changing locations in Odisha and West Bengal, after Mohanty was found re-engaged at the BEO Office post-retirement.
According to Vigilance reports, the couple was hiding in Kolkata but left for Bhadrak last night. They were arrested at a hotel early this morning. They are being interrogated. The misappropriated funds were transferred to personal accounts of Pradip Mohanty, his wife, son Matruprasad Mohanty (arrested yesterday), and others.
It is pertinent to mention that the Vigilance sleuths had arrested Pradip Mohanty’s son Matruprasad Mohanty, the Branch Head of Jana Small Finance Bank (Bhadrak), for his involvement in a massive embezzlement of government funds.
The fraud, which targeted the Office of the Block Education Officer (BEO), Korei, in Jajpur, resulted in a staggering loss of Rs. 5,56,11,495.
The investigation revealed a sophisticated collaboration between Matruprasad and his father, Pradip. Pradip allegedly accessed the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) illegally and targeted the IDs of 13 retired teachers, falsifying records to show them as ‘active’ in service.
Further investigation is underway.
