Recrutiment scam: ex collector of Odisha’s Bolangir dist released from jail

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Balangir, Dec 9:

The former collector of Odisha’s Balangir district Debraj Mishra, who had been arrested in connection with the gross irregularities in the appointment of revenue inspectors (RIs) and amins during his tenure as collector of the district during 2012-13, was today released from jail after obtaining bail from the High Court.

The former collector was granted conditional bail by the Odisha High Court on Friday. Mishra had moved the High Court after the special vigilance court here had rejected his bail application  on November 10.

Mishra was arrested from his residence in Kapilaparasad in Bhubaneswar November 7 by a joint team of Vigilance officials from Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar divisions in connection with the appointments scam during his tenure as collector of Bolangir district.

Vigilance sleuths had claimed to have seized a number of incriminating documents, besides about 300 grams of gold from his residence during the raid.

The startling revelations about the gross irregularities obtained through RTI had led first to a Vigilance inquiry followed by a Crime Branch probe and culminated in Mishra’s arrest.

Mishra was suspended by the government before his arrest after preliminary investigation found prima facie evidence against him.