Bhubaneswar: A Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday convicted Ajaya Kumar Mohanty, former Junior Diarist in the office of the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha, and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) along with a fine in a bribery case registered by Odisha Vigilance.
Mohanty, who has since retired from service, was charge-sheeted under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for demanding and accepting a bribe. The prosecution established that he had sought illegal gratification from a person in return for extending official help for the publication of a withheld examination result of the person’s relative.
Following the conviction, Odisha Vigilance announced that it will move the competent authority for stoppage of Mohanty’s pension, as per applicable rules governing convicted public servants. Officials said the action would be initiated in view of his conviction in a corruption case, even though he has already retired from government service.
The case highlights the Vigilance Directorate’s continued action against corruption in public offices, particularly in matters linked to sensitive services such as examination results, which directly affect students and families.
