On Tuesday, officials announced that three retired employees of the Odisha government, including a medical doctor, have been found guilty by vigilance courts in distinct corruption cases linked to their past service. The convictions occurred on Monday.
The three individuals are Debendranath Nayak, a former senior surgery specialist at the District Headquarters Hospital in Jharsuguda; Durga Prasad Sahu, a former assistant revenue inspector; and Kartikeswar Sahu, a former soil conservation officer.
Nayak was apprehended for taking a bribe in exchange for performing a surgical operation. The Special Judge for Vigilance in Sambalpur sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment.
In a separate incident, Durga Prasad Sahu faced charges after he was caught accepting a bribe from an applicant for providing a favorable report in a mutation case. The Vigilance Court in Sambalpur sentenced him to one year of rigorous imprisonment.
Kartikeswar Sahu, who served as a soil conservation officer in the Purunakatak area of Boudh district, was also given a one-year sentence by the Special Judge for Vigilance in Phulbani, along with a fine of Rs 50,000.
All three cases stem from alleged corrupt activities conducted during the officials’ tenure in government service. In light of these convictions, the Odisha Vigilance department plans to request the relevant authority to halt the pensions of the three convicted individuals.
The department remains committed to addressing corruption within the ranks of public officials, even after their retirement, as those found guilty may face repercussions regarding their post-retirement benefits.
