A warder of the Balasore Jail has been put under suspension by the Director General, Prisons, following an inquiry against him.
The suspended cop is Himanu Mahanta. According to the reports, an audio conversation between Mahanta and another person went viral where the latter was asking some favours for his brother who was lodged in the jail.
In lieu Mahanta had asked for money from him. After the purported audio surfaced it was probed by the department and Baripada Jail Superintendent Pradipta Kumar Behera was asked to submit a report following an inquiry into the allegation.
The report revealed that Mahanta had received cash of Rs 3,000 from the brother of the inmate to extend certain facilities in the jail.
Jail Superintendent Balasore Jail Sujit Kumar Raul confirming the allegations surfaced against Mahanta also iterated that he was suspended basing on the report by the DG Prisons.
Reports also said that Mahanta used to take money from the relatives of inmates to extend facilities such as giving phones, supplying gutkha, cigarettes and other items. It is also alleged that the suspended cop although is a group C staff, maintains a luxurious lifestyle and owns cars too.