Tahsildar, younger brother held in Odisha over graft case

Bhubaneswar: The Vigilance arrested Nimapada Tahsildar Rama Chandra Jena and younger brother Laxman Jena on charges of amassing disproportionate assets and managing the bribe money received by the official respectively.

Vigilance official sources said Rama Chandra and his younger brother will be forwarded to the court.

Investigation revealed Laxman Jena, the younger brother of Rama Chandra Jena, In-charge Sub-Registrar cum Tahsildar, Nimapada was an active accomplice and abettor in the corrupt activities of the official.

Laxman Jena used to manage the illgotten bribe money of the main accused, the official sources added.
Laxman was working as a truck helper (2002-2003) and truck driver (2006-2007). He then drove taxi in Bhubaneswar (2012-2013) and Mo Bus (2018-2019). He was not having any source of income after quitting as a driver of Mo Bus.

The Vigilance sources added during investigation, Laxman confessed that in September, his brother Rama Chandra called him thrice to Nimapada and gave him Rs 2.5 lakhs, Rs 5 Lakhs and Rs 2.5 lakhs amounting to total Rs 10 lakh bribe money for deposit in his ICICI bank account. The ICICI Bank passbook has been seized.

Yesterday night around 9 PM, Laxman received a telephone call from elder brother Rama Chandra Jena to collect an amount of Rs 4.5 lakhs today morning. Accordingly he had come to collect the money form Rama Chandra Jena.

During a search at the Nimapda Tahsildar’s house five PAN cards bearing different ‘Date of Birth’ and ‘Father’s Name’ were seized. The Income Tax department has been informed about the seizure of multiple PAN cards from the residence of the Tahsidlar, added the Vigilance official sources.

The raid was conducted by the Vigilance on basis of a tip-off on possessing huge amount of cash early morning today.

Also read: Odisha: Nimapada Tahasildar Found In Possession Of 5 PAN Cards; Raids Underway

Simultaneous searches were also conducted at the official’s residence at Sector 11, CDA in Cuttack city and native Dhanmandal under Garadpur Block in Kendrapara district.

In this connection, Vigilance Cell PS Case No 7 dtd 2/11/21 u/s 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (b) / 12 PC Act 1988 was registered against Ramachandra Jena and younger brother Laxman Jena.

The Tahasildar had involvement in two other Vigilance cases over illegal settlement of valuable land and issuance of patta, and illegal conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural land.