The State Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) arrested a person for his alleged involvement in embezzling Government funds worth Rs 1.32 crore.
The arrestee was identified as Bramhojyoti Behera of Baleswar district. He was apprehended under Sections 419, 420, 409, 467, 468 and 471 of IPC; and Sections 66(C), 66(D) of IT Act.
The case, which was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Bank of India (BoI), Remuna Senior Branch Manager Swaraj Mohanty. In his complaint, Mohanty had alleged that Business Correspondent of the bank Pravat Kumar Das had embezzled Rs 1.32 crore by falsely posting the amount in the pension accounts of two persons who had died.
Investigation revealed that Das was entrusted to prepare pension rolls. One Parsuram Giri was a pensioner and his pension amount was credited to his accoun at the bank. He died on December 27, 2014. Similarly, Sabitri Behera was also a pensioner and was getting family pension after death of her husband. She died on March 22, 2014.
After death of the two pensioners, Das had entered false and excessive amount of pension in their accounts each month with an ulterior motive. Till November 2018, he had posted Rs 65 lakh in the account of Parsuram and Rs 67 lakh in the account of Sabitri.
Das had hatched a criminal conspiracy with Bramhojyoti , who is the son of Sabitri, and the then Branch Manager of the bank Durga Charan Panda. An ATM card was issued in the name of Sabitri which was used by her son Bramhojyoti. During 2014 to 18, Bramhojyoti had withdrawn Rs 65 lakh from his deceased mother’s pension account and it was shared between the aforesaid three persons. Both Pravat and Durga Charan had been arrested earlier.