Retired IAS Vinod Kumar faces 11th conviction in corruption case

Bhubaneswar, Jan 28: In a significant ruling, the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar, has convicted several former officials of the Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) and a private developer in a corruption case.

The convicts include Vinod Kumar, IAS, former Managing Director of ORHDC; Swosti Ranjan Mohapatra, former Company Secretary; Pradeep Kumar Rout, former Accounts Officer; Satya Prakash Behera, former Junior Loan Officer; Janendra Swain, former System Analyst; and Umesh Chandra Swain, former Recovery Assistant, all from ORHDC, along with Sri Lingaraj Patra, Managing Director of M/s City Builders and Developers Pvt Ltd.

The court sentenced the convicts to rigorous imprisonment for three years and imposed a fine of ₹50,000 each. The case, registered under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, highlighted that the ORHDC officials had shown undue favoritism to Sri Lingaraj Patra by illegally sanctioning and disbursing loans based on fake and forged documents. This malpractice resulted in significant financial loss to ORHDC and a violation of established guidelines and norms.

Notably, this marks the 11th conviction related to corruption within ORHDC, implicating Vinod Kumar and other officials in a criminal conspiracy with private individuals. The case underscores ongoing efforts by the Odisha Vigilance to combat corruption and uphold accountability within government institutions.