Odisha official gets 28 months’ RI in DA case

Reported by Santish Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Mar 18:

The Special Vigilance Court here today convicted Padma Charan Tripathy, retired assistant Executive Engineer of Paralakhemundi Irrigation Sub-Division in Odisha’s Gajapati district for possession of assets worth of Rs 7, 47,752 disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The Court sentenced him to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) for 28 months and to pay a fine of Rs 75,000. He would have to undergo RI for a three months more if he failed to pay the fine, the court ruled.

The case relates to Berhampur Vigilance case No.-6 registered on January 1 1996 in which the vigilance had slapped charges under sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e) PC Act 1988 against Tripathy.

The vigilance team had searched his house at Brajanagar and Berhampur, the house of his brother-in-law at Chikiti and Berhampur, the house of his son-in-law at Baghalati, the house of another brother-in-law at Bhubaneswar simultaneously on January 8 1996.

Tripathy was charge sheeted on September 19 2000 and was under trial in the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance here since then.

Confiscation proceeding of the disproportionate assets are under process, a vigilance official said.