Bhubaneswar: A Special Vigilance Court in Balangir on Saturday sentenced a former Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL) to four years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 from a beneficiary under the Jalanidhi Yojana.
The convict, Chittaranjan Behera, was also imposed a fine by the court, Odisha Vigilance said in an official statement.
Behera, who was formerly posted as a Junior Engineer in the Electrical Section at Binika in Subarnapur district and was serving as AEE (Electrical) in the MRT Rourkela Circle of TPWODL, was convicted by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Balangir, on October 31, 2026.
According to the Vigilance, Behera had demanded and accepted the bribe from a Jalanidhi Yojana beneficiary for providing regular electricity bills for power supply to a motor pump installed on his agricultural land, instead of provisional bills.
He had been charge-sheeted under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Following the conviction, Behera was taken into judicial custody to serve his sentence.
Odisha Vigilance will move the competent authority to initiate proceedings for his dismissal from service in view of the conviction, the statement added.
