Bhubaneswar, 13 August (H.S.): Odisha Vigilance has arrested two former officials of the Tirtol Block office in Jagatsinghpur district for their alleged involvement in the misappropriation of government funds amounting to more than Rs 3.02 crore.

The arrested accused have been identified as Bhanja Kishore Behera, former SRA of Tirtol Block, currently posted as SRA at Naugaon Tahasil, and Pradipta Kumar Mallik, former PEO of Tirtol Block, who has since retired.

According to Odisha Vigilance, an extensive investigation covering the financial years 2011-12 to 2021-22 uncovered a systematic financial fraud at the Tirtol Block office. The total amount allegedly misappropriated was Rs 3,02,95,000.

The investigation found that Behera, Mallik and Late Rajdeep Hansda, former AEE of Tirtol Block, allegedly manipulated government salary registers and disbursement documents to facilitate the fraud.

The accused officials allegedly prepared and submitted inflated and fraudulent salary bills exceeding the sanctioned budget allocations. The investigation further revealed that the allegedly misappropriated funds were transferred directly into their personal savings bank accounts.

In connection with the case, Odisha Vigilance has registered Kataka Vigilance Police Station Case No. 30 dated August 12, 2026, under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, along with Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of the IPC.

Behera and Mallik are being forwarded to the court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack, for further legal proceedings.

The investigation into the alleged financial irregularities is currently underway.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda