Bhubaneswar: A Special Vigilance Court in Jeypore has convicted a former Block Development Officer (BDO) and sentenced him to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for a period of three years for misappropriating government funds.
According to an official press release, the Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore, convicted Ramesh Chandra Sahoo, a former Block Development Officer under the Narayanpatna Block of Koraput district.
Sahoo was charge-sheeted by the Odisha Vigilance under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(c)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988, and Sections 409/120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for misusing government funds totaling Rs. 5 lakh.
The funds had been approved under the Biju Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi (KBK) scheme for the year 2013-14.
These funds were intended for roadwork under the Kumbhari Gram Panchayat in Narayanpatna Block, Koraput district, but the work was never executed.
In addition to the three-year rigorous imprisonment, the court also imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 on the convict.
It is worth noting that Sahoo had been convicted twice earlier—on 17th February 2025 and 21st March 2024—by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore, for similar offenses related to misappropriation of government funds.
