Graft slur: IAS officer arrested, sent to jail in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Feb 16:

Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Partha Sarathi Mishra detained since yesterday on graft allegations was today arrested by Vigilance officials in Odisha’s Cuttack.

According to Vigilance sources, the 2006-cadre bureaucrat presently serving as Managing Director of Orissa Small Industries Corporation Ltd was arrested and forwarded to court here.

Besides, a criminal case has been registered against Mishra under section 13(2) r/w 13(1) (d) (e) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

He has been remanded to judicial custody till March 1, sources added.

Yesterday, Mishra was apprehended by Vigilance sleuths near his office for carrying huge cash in his car. The officer was intercepted by Vigilance officials of Cuttack Division while he was proceeding from his office towards residential quarters in the official car at around 6.40 pm.

Upon interception, a sum of Rs 2, 14, 750 was found from the possession of Dr Partha Sarathi Mishra in the car in a closed cover.

On preliminary interrogation, Mishra failed to explain the source of the money, Vigilance sources said.

The Vigilance department had received complaints of Mishra collecting huge amount of illegal money from various persons. Based on the complaints, a laid was trapped to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.