Bhubaneswar: Three government functionaries including a police official were convicted by vigilance courts in separate corruption cases in Odisha.
A former ASI of Police of Garoi Out-post under Nuagaon police station in Jagatsinghpur, Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra was convicted and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of two years. The special vigilance court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. In default of payment of the fine, he would undergo a further six months of rigorous imprisonment.
Mohapatra was arrested by Vigilance in 2013 for demanding and accepting bribe from a complainant to expedite the investigation of a case.
In another case, a special vigilance court awarded Pramod Kumar Panda, Ex-GPTA, Keonjhar Sadar Block, three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 in a graft case. In default of payment of fine, he would undergo further one year of rigorous imprisonment.
Panda was arrested by vigilance in 2020 for accepting a bribe of Rs 11,000 from a complainant in connection with the execution of concrete road work and for further allotment of new work.
Similarly, Bhuban Mohan Dash, former MARKFED Area Manager In-charge of Boudh, who was arrested by the anti-graft agency in 2013 was convicted by Special Judge, Vigilance, Phulbani and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs 10,000. The court ordered him to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for a period of six months in default of payment of a fine.
Dash was arrested and charge-sheeted by Odisha Vigilance under sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) PC Act,1988/409 of IPC for misappropriation of Rs 9.66 Lakh in respect of procurement of Niger & Turmeric seeds.
