Bhubaneswar, 01 November (H.S.): Odisha Vigilance on Sunday arrested Sadasiba Pradhan, a former Senior Revenue Assistant (SRA) of the Sub-Collector's Office in Chhatrapur, Ganjam district, for allegedly misappropriating government funds amounting to Rs 8.63 lakh meant for the Red Cross Fund.

Pradhan, who is currently posted at the Tahsil Office in Surada, allegedly embezzled Rs 8,63,200 while serving in the Nizarat Section of the Sub-Collector's Office, Chhatrapur, between December 2023 and August 2025.

According to Odisha Vigilance, a detailed inquiry and verification were conducted following allegations that government funds collected at the Nizarat Section had not been deposited into the designated bank account.

During the relevant period, Pradhan was entrusted with managing the Nizarat Section, including the collection and maintenance of government funds and the Red Cross Fund. The investigation revealed that he had issued official receipt books and collected Rs 8,63,200 towards the Red Cross Fund.

However, instead of depositing the collected amount into the designated account at the State Bank of India's Chhatrapur branch, he allegedly misappropriated the entire sum for personal gain, the Vigilance investigation found.

Following his arrest, Pradhan is being forwarded to the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Brahmapur.

In this connection, Brahmapur Vigilance Police Station Case No. 13, dated October 31, 2026, has been registered against him under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda