Suspended PEO arrested for embezzling ₹3.26 crore for cricket betting

Bhubaneswar, March 22: Odisha Vigilance officials arrested Debananda Sagar, a former Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) of Podapadar and Talnegi Gram Panchayats in Kalahandi district, for allegedly misappropriating ₹3.26 crore of government funds and using the money for cricket betting. The arrest took place on Saturday, a day after another PEO in Ganjam district was caught for a similar offense involving ₹43 lakh.

According to Vigilance officials, Sagar forged the Sarpanch’s signature to withdraw funds from 15th Finance Commission (CFC) and 5th State Finance Commission (SFC) accounts. He then transferred the money into his personal State Bank of India (SBI) account in Dharamgarh Bazar Branch using the Public Finance Management System (PFMS). From May to March, the misappropriated funds were allegedly used for online betting on the platform FAIRPLAY.

Sagar joined government service on July 4, 2016, as a PEO and was assigned to Talnegi, later taking additional charge of Podapadar. Notably, this is not his first offense. In 2023, he was booked for siphoning off ₹1.04 crore while serving as PEO in Badachhatrang, Birikot, and Pahadpadar Gram Panchayats under Lanjigarh Block. Following that case, he was placed under suspension.

The Vigilance department has now registered two more cases against him and will present him before the Special Judge, Vigilance, in Bhawanipatna. The investigation is ongoing.