Bhubaneswar: A Vigilance court in Bhubaneswar has sentenced a financial consultant of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Rayagada to rigorous imprisonment in a bribe case.
The Vigilance had arrested Laxminarayan Satapathy, financial consultant and Jayanarayan Trailokya Nath, planning coordinator (disengaged from service), both working in the office of District Project Coordinator (DPC), SSA, Rayagada for taking bribe.
The Vigilance had caught Satpathy and Nath red-handed while accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 from a complainant for issuing cheques against two bills submitted by the complainant after execution of the work and for his EMD amount and TDS.
On the date of judgment on Monday, Satapathy was absent from the court for which a non-bailable warrant was issued for his production.
The Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar announced the verdict after Satapathy appeared before it on Tuesday. The court convicted Satapathy in the case and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for 2 years and 3 years under Section 7 and 13(2) PC Act, 1988 respectively and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each count. In default of payment of fine, the convict has to undergo RI for 3 more months. Both the sentences will run concurrently.
