Bhubaneswar: In a significant anti-corruption development, Odisha Vigilance has secured the conviction of a former Assistant Horticulture Officer in a corruption case, with a court in Balasore awarding him three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a monetary penalty.
Prasanta Kumar Mishra, former Assistant Horticulture Officer in Nilgiri block of Balasore district, was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years and to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 after being found guilty of misappropriating government funds.
The conviction was pronounced on Thursday by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Balasore, in a case registered under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code.
According to Odisha Vigilance, Mishra had misappropriated government money sanctioned under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) scheme, which was meant for the preparation of new banana gardens.
Officials said the accused had been charge-sheeted following an investigation into irregularities in the utilisation of scheme funds.
Following the conviction, Odisha Vigilance said it will move the competent authority to initiate proceedings for the stoppage of pension of the retired officer.
