Bhubaneswar: A special vigilance court here Friday sentenced a former child development project officer (CDPO) of Banpur in Khurda to three years rigorous imprisonment for taking a bribe of Rs 8,740 from an Anganwadi worker in April 2012. The convict, Raj Kumari Dei, has also been asked by the court to pay Rs 15,000 as a penalty.
According to sources, the convicted ex-CDPO used to demand bribe from Anganwadi workers of Kumaranga gram panchayat to clear their pending bills. On April 19, 2012, one Bandana Sarangi, an Anganwadi worker of Champadeipur under Banpur block lodged a complaint with the Vigilance SP of Bhubaneswar division in this regard.
The Vigilance officials laid a trap the next day to catch Dei with proofs. Dei was later caught red-handed while receiving the seized amount from the complainant.
Sanjeeb Dubey, the special vigilance Judge, found Dei guilty after going through the statements of 10 witnesses and material evidence.
She was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and was directed to pay Rs 15,000 as fine failing which she will be liable to get an additional jail term of three months. Public Prosecutor Hemant Kumar Swain carried out the trial on behalf of the Vigilance department.