Two Odisha Govt Officials Arrested in Rs 3.02-Crore Misappropriation Case

August 13, 2026

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested two former government officials in connection with the alleged misappropriation of Rs 3.02 crore in Jagatsinghpur district, officials said.

The accused were identified as Bhanja Kishore Behera, former Senior Revenue Assistant (SRA) of Tirtol Block, who is currently posted as SRA at Naugaon Tahasil, and Pradipta Kumar Mallik, former Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) of Tirtol Block, who has since retired.

The alleged financial irregularities came to light during an extensive Vigilance investigation covering the financial years 2011-12 to 2021-22.

Rs 3.02 Crore Government Funds Allegedly Misappropriated

According to the Vigilance department, Behera, Mallik and late Rajdeep Hansda, a former Assistant Executive Engineer of Tirtol Block, allegedly executed a systematic financial fraud involving government funds.

Investigators found that the accused allegedly misappropriated Rs 3,02,95,000 by fabricating and tampering with government salary registers and disbursement documents.

The officials allegedly prepared inflated and fraudulent salary bills exceeding sanctioned budget allocations and transferred the misappropriated funds directly into their personal savings bank accounts.

Vigilance Registers Case Against Officials

Odisha Vigilance has registered a case at the Kataka Vigilance Police Station under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and the IPC.

The case, registered as 30/26 on August 12, includes charges under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, along with Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of the IPC.

Further investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the alleged financial irregularities and identify any other persons who may have been involved.

Odisha Govt Maintains Zero-Tolerance Policy

The arrests come amid the Odisha government’s stated focus on taking action against corruption.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed the administration at all levels to follow a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and has repeatedly said that officials found involved in corrupt practices will face action.

Recently, the Chief Minister also dismissed Patitapaban Barik, who was posted at Gurandi Community Health Centre in Gajapati district, after he was found guilty in a corruption case related to his earlier tenure as Medical Officer at Gurundia CHC in Sundargarh district.