Bhubaneswar/Balangir: The Special Judge, Vigilance, Balangir, Monday convicted two retired forest officials and sentenced them to three years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.66 lakh from a Forest Range Officer for release of funds meant for repair and maintenance of Kendu Leaf phadies (godowns).
The convicts are Pranab Kishor Mohanty, former DFO, Kendu Leaf, Patnagarh Division, Balangir, and Chittaranjan Dehury, former Deputy Range Officer, Kendu Leaf, Ghasian South Range, Patnagarh.
The Odisha Vigilance had chargesheeted the duo in Sambalpur Vigilance PS Case No. 13, dated June 8, 2020, under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Mohanty and Dehury, according to Vigilance, had demanded and accepted the bribe from a Range Officer under Patnagarh Range for facilitating release of funds for repair and maintenance of Kendu Leaf phadies.
The court sentenced each convict to three years’ RI and imposed a fine. Following their conviction, Odisha Vigilance will move the competent authority for stoppage of pension of the two retired officials, as per applicable rules.