Odisha: Former Tehsildar among 2 jailed in graft case

Bhubaneswar: Two former employees of Revenue department were convicted in a bribery case by the Special Vigilance Judge in Odisha’s Keonjhar today.

Former Tehsildar (retired) of Patna Tehsil in Keonjhar Pradeep Kumar Nayak and former peon (retired) of the Tehsil Biswanath Naik were convicted for demanding and accepting bribe from a person for issuance of Record of Rights (Patta) in five mutation cases.

The Vigilance department of Odisha had registered a case against the duo under Section 13(2) and 13 (1) (d)/7/12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988 in 2011.

The Special Vigilance Judge sentenced the former Patna Tehsildar to two years of rigorous imprisonment for the offence under Section 13(2) and 13 (1) (d) of the PC Act-1988. The court also slapped a penalty of Rs 5,000 on him. Non-payment of the penalty amount would invite additional six months of rigorous imprisonment.

The former Tehsildar was also sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year under Section 7 of the PC Act-1988. Besides, the court imposed a penalty of Rs 2,000 on him. The convict will undergo additional rigorous imprisonment for three months if he is unable to pay the penalty amount.

All the substantive sentences will run concurrently, said the Special Vigilance Judge.

The court awarded rigorous imprisonment for one year to the former peon of Patna Tehsil office under Section 12 of the PC Act-1988. It also slapped a penalty of Rs 2,000 on the convict. Non-payment of the penalty amount would invite additional rigorous imprisonment for a period of two months for the convict.

The Odisha Vigilance will move the competent authority for stoppage of pension of the convicted, said an official.