The commandant of the 1st Battalion of the Odisha State Armed Police Service (OAPS) has been arrested by Odisha vigilance on corruption charges. They seized over Rs 10 lakh from him. Superintendent of Police, M. Radhakrisna, revealed during a press conference in Cuttack that they had received reliable information about Sunil Kumar Behera, the commandant, collecting large sums as illegal gratification. The vigilance team closely monitored his activities and intercepted him near Madhusudan Setu while he was traveling from Dhenkanal to Cuttack. They found Rs 1,31,535 in cash in his possession. A subsequent raid at his Cuttack residence led to the discovery of another Rs 8.70 lakh, bringing the total confiscated cash to Rs 10.01 lakh. Behera couldn’t provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of the money, leaving officials puzzled. Investigations are underway to determine the origin of the funds. Simultaneous searches are being conducted at five locations associated with Behera to uncover properties that exceed his known sources of income.
In a separate case, Ludasini Nayak, a former welfare extension officer in Nayagarh district, was convicted by a special judge, vigilance, in Bhubaneswar. She had been charged by Odisha vigilance for soliciting and accepting a bribe to conduct an inquiry and submit a report on an inter-caste marriage to the district welfare officer. Nayak received a four-year prison sentence and a fine of Rs 5,000. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional two-month imprisonment. Currently, Nayak serves as the welfare extension officer in Badampahad, Mayurbhanj district.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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