Ex-Sarpanch Convicted, Clerk Arrested in Odisha Corruption Cases

Nayagarh: In a significant achievement for the Odisha Vigilance Department, former Sarpanch of Damasahi Gram Panchayat, Bibhuti Bhusan Harichandan, has been convicted in a corruption case.

The Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar sentenced Harichandan to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹25,000. The former Sarpanch was found guilty of misappropriating ₹4.84 lakh of government funds by forging the executive officer’s signature on cheques from IAY, TFC, and GP fund accounts. He was charged under sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(c) of the PC Act, 1988, and sections 409, 468, and 471 of the IPC.

In another development, Odisha Vigilance arrested Debajani Kar, Junior Clerk of the Sub-Registrar Office in Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, in a bribery case. Kar was caught red-handed while accepting a ₹20,000 bribe from a complainant for processing the Registered Sale Deed (RSD) of a subplot. She will be presented before the court later today.

The Odisha Vigilance Department continues to intensify its crackdown on corruption across the state.