ORHDC scam: Court awards IAS officer Vinod Kumar 3-yr jail term

Bhubaneswar: In a major setback for the arrested senior IAS officer and former director of Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) Vinod Kumar, a Special Vigilance Court convicted him  and sentenced him three years imprisonment on Monday in connection with ORHDC scam to the tune of Rs 1.02 crore.

While conducting the hearing today, the court convicted the tainted IAS officer, however, acquitted the then account officer Chitta Mallick.

Vinod Kumar was also convicted and awarded 3 years in jail in connection with a scam worth Rs 55 lakh earlier in August.

Kumar the then Managing Director of ORHDC during 2001, Biswal Constructions director Bijay Biswal and five other officials of the corporation have been accused of furnishing fake certificates and abuse of power and will face the trial.

Recently, Kumar along with the then executive director (technical) of OHRDC Purna Chandra Das, assistant manager Sanjay Mohanty, accounts officer Pradip Rout, accountant Chitta Mallick and secretary of Gramya Bikash Manch, Asish Das were convicted by the court under Sections 13 (2), 13(1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Sections 420 and 120 of the IPC in connection with financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 55 lakh in the corporation in 2000. They were each awarded 3-year jail term.

Sources said that 22 financial irregularities and disproportionate asset cases are pending against Vinod Kumar.

Also Read: ORHDC Scam: IAS Officer Vinod Kumar Gets 3-Year Jail Term