Three retired Odisha government employees convicted in corruption cases

Three retired Odisha government employees, including a doctor, have been convicted by vigilance courts in separate corruption cases dating back to their years in service, officials said on Tuesday.

The three officials — retired senior surgery specialist Debendranath Nayak, former assistant revenue inspector Durga Prasad Sahu and former soil conservation officer Kartikeswar Sahu — were convicted on Monday.

Nayak, who served as a senior surgery specialist at the District Headquarters Hospital in Jharsuguda, was arrested while accepting a bribe to perform an operation, vigilance officials said.

The Special Judge, Vigilance, Sambalpur, convicted Nayak and sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment.

In another case, Durga Prasad Sahu, who worked as an assistant revenue inspector, was caught by vigilance officers while allegedly accepting a bribe from an applicant in return for submitting a favourable report in a mutation case.

The Vigilance Court in Sambalpur sentenced him to one year of rigorous imprisonment.

Kartikeswar Sahu, a former soil conservation officer posted at Purunakatak in Boudh district, was also sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Phulbani.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.

All three cases relate to alleged corrupt practices committed while the officials were in government service.

Following the convictions, the Odisha Vigilance department said it would approach the competent authority seeking stoppage of the pension of the three officials.

The department has been pursuing corruption cases against government officials even after their retirement, with convicted personnel facing possible action against their post-retirement benefits.