4 forest officials arrested by for embezzlement of government funds
Kalahandi: Odisha Vigilance arrested four forest department officials on charges of embezzlement of government funds of around Rs 80 lakhs under “compensatory afforestation scheme” in Kalahandi South Forest Division during 2023-24.
The arrested forest officials have been identified as Sairendri Bag, the Deputy Ranger, Incharge Jaypatana Range, Umesh Chandra Rout, Forester, Debraj Sunani, Forester and Ashok Kumar Sahu, Forest Guard.
According to the Vigilance department, based on credible inputs regarding large scale misappropriation of Government funds under “Compensatory Afforestation Scheme” in Jaypatana Range of Kalahandi, South Forest Division, a Vigilance enquiry was taken up for verification of plantation under the above scheme, by 4 teams comprising 25 Officers of Odisha Vigilance.
A thorough enumeration of following plantation sites under Jaypatana Range was undertaken. During the enumeration huge shortfall in plantation and misappropriation was found. Enquiry also revealed that the plantation funds were diverted to a number of fictitious labour accounts and withdrawn shortly thereafter, and misappropriated.
Following the enquiry prima facie evidence was well established against the forest officials namely Sairendri Bag, Umesh Rout, Debraj Sunani, Ashok Kumar Sahu and Lalit Naik, Forest Guard, all of Jaypatana Range, for connivance in the misappropriation of huge Government money amounting to Rs 79,54,635 by not carrying out plantation and falsification of records in the above plantation work during the financial year 2023-24.
In this connection, Koraput Vigilance PS Case No.19 dated 12.05.2025 U/s 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (a) P.C Act, 1988 as amended by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018/316(5)/318(4)/336(3)/340(2)/61(2) BNS has been registered against the aforesaid five officials.
However, four of them have been arrested today and will be forwarded later to the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna.
Efforts are on to nab Lalit Nayak and to verify involvement of others, said sources adding that further investigation is continuing.
