MALKANGIRI/JEYPORE: Two days after carrying out intensive searches at seven locations in Jeypore, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the Vigilance on Friday arrested Malkangiri Watershed deputy director Santanu Mohapatra on charges of misappropriating government funds and amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Besides, four accomplices of Mohapatra were also arrested for abetting him in accumulation of disproportionate assets and collecting bribes from contractors and others on his behalf. They are assistant agriculture engineer Mohan Mandal, data entry operator Biswajit Mandal, contractual employee Amiyakanta Sahu and Alekh Pradhan, the operator of a Jan Seva Kendra at Jagannathprasad in Ganjam district.
Vigilance director Yeshwant Jethwa said Mohapatra and his associates siphoned off government funds by falsely recording many projects as completed. Payments were made to the accounts of labourers which were subsequently withdrawn and misappropriated. At least 35 passbooks of labourers have been found in houses of the accused during the searches. Besides, evidence of transfers amounting to more than Rs 1 crore done by Alekh to Mohapatra from 2019 to 2024 have been gathered.
