Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday arrested a junior engineer (JE) of Kendrapada’s Pattamundai block, Ratnesh Kumar Pandey, for alleged misuse of public funds.
Pandey is accused of misappropriating GP Developmental Funds with executing a street light electrification project in Pattamundai block during 2023-24 financial year. He allegedly transferred it instead to his bank account in SBI, Branch at Pipili. “So far, evidence of Rs 9.70 lakh transferred to his personal accounts have been gathered and investigation is on to ascertain further misappropriation,” a Vigilance release said.
Consequently, a case under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(a)/12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018, along with IPC sections 409 and 120-B has been registered against the JE. He will be forwarded to the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, in Cuttack, it added.
