Corruption Crackdown: Former Odisha Drugs Inspector Sentenced to 3 Years' Jail, Slapped Rs 1.5 L Fine

Bhubaneswar: A Vigilance Court in Berhampur on Thursday came down heavily on corruption, sentencing former Bolangir Drugs Inspector Tutika Vasudev Rao to three years of simple imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh after convicting him in a disproportionate assets case.

According to media reports by Ommcom News, Rao, who has already retired from government service, had been charge-sheeted under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988. The charges related to allegedly possessing assets that exceeded his known and legitimate sources of income during his tenure as a public servant.

After examining the evidence presented during the trial, the Vigilance Court held that Rao had accumulated assets beyond his lawful income and accordingly pronounced him guilty and awarded the sentence.

In the wake of the verdict, Odisha Vigilance authorities said they would approach the competent authority to seek suspension of Rao’s pension benefits, in accordance with the rules applicable to convicted government employees, Ommcom News reported.

The case was probed by Odisha Vigilance as part of ongoing efforts to curb corruption and the accumulation of illicit assets by public officials. With this ruling, the case becomes one more instance of a public servant in the state being punished under anti-corruption laws.