The Koraput vigilance division took strong action against corruption throughout 2025. Officials registered a total of forty-one criminal cases. These cases targeted eighty-two public servants and private persons.
Breakdown of Registered Cases
Vigilance officials provided a detailed account of the cases filed between January and December. The portfolio included fifteen trap cases. Authorities also registered twelve disproportionate assets cases. Another fourteen cases fell into the miscellaneous category.
Profile of the Accused
The list of accused individuals was extensive. It featured eight Group-A officers. Thirteen Group-B officers faced charges. The division also named forty-four Group-C employees. Seventeen other public servants were implicated in the cases.
During the year, vigilance personnel made forty-three arrests. They produced these public servants in court. Superintendent of Police (Vigilance) Rabindra Kumar Panda confirmed these actions.
Legal Proceedings and Convictions
The division remained active in the legal arena. They filed chargesheets in seventy-four separate cases. These chargesheets involved one hundred sixty-eight public servants and private persons.
Vigilance courts delivered convictions in eight cases. The courts at Jeypore and Bhawanipatna issued these orders. Convictions were secured against eight accused individuals.
Substantial Cash Recoveries
Investigations led to significant cash seizures during searches. Officials recovered substantial amounts from two locations.
From the residence of Santanu Mohapatra, authorities seized cash. Mohapatra served as the project director for Watershed in Malkangiri. The seized amount totaled Rs 2.08 crore.
Another recovery occurred at the house of Rama Chandra Nepak. Nepak worked as the deputy ranger of the Jeypore forest range. Officials confiscated Rs 1.43 crore from his premises.
Detection of Vast Properties
Disproportionate assets investigations uncovered extensive holdings. Dayanidhi Bag, project director for Watershed in Rayagada, possessed considerable wealth.
Bag owned eighty-four acres of land. This included two farmhouses spanning forty-six acres in Nabarangpur. His assets also featured two buildings and a flat in Bhubaneswar.
Investigators found deposits exceeding Rs 58 lakh. They also identified a benami car in his possession.
Trap Cases and Bribery Arrests
Several officials faced capture in trap cases throughout the year. Authorities caught them red-handed while accepting bribes.
- Sushila Sabar, CDPO of Bisamcuttack, and Rama Chandra Patra, a clerk-cum-accountant, accepted Rs 80,000. They took the bribe for an appointment-related favour.
- Renuka Pattanaik, an anganwadi supervisor in Laxmipur block, received Rs 50,000. She accepted the money to facilitate a joining at an anganwadi centre.
- Harish Chandra Mohapatra, a peon at the special treasury in Jeypore, took Rs 47,000. He demanded the bribe to release arrear pension to a widow.
- Narasingh Dora, an ASI at B. Singhpur police station, accepted Rs 40,000. He promised not to arrest relatives in a domestic violence case.
- Sukuma Hansdah, IIC of Dasmantpur police station, received Rs 20,000. He took the money to submit a case diary in court.
Commitment to Continued Action
SP Rabindra Kumar Panda emphasized the division's unwavering resolve. He stated that vigilance operations would intensify further in the coming period.
Panda made a direct appeal to the public. He urged citizens to come forward with information on corruption cases. The SP assured complete confidentiality for all informants. Their identities would remain protected throughout the process.
