Belpahar Municipality Scam Deepens: Former EO Madhusmita Singh Arrested for Rs 4 Crore Fraud
In a major breakthrough, Odisha’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested Madhusmita Singh, former Executive Officer of Belpahar Municipality and suspended tehsildar of Jamda, for her alleged role in a Rs 4 crore misappropriation scandal.
Singh’s arrest follows the earlier detention of municipality accountant Bibhuti Sahu. The case, handed over to the EOW on August 27, revealed serious financial irregularities during Singh’s tenure. She was suspended by the Revenue Department on August 30.
Investigators have now uncovered that even under the current Executive Officer, Gourav Chandra Pradhan, payments exceeding Rs 2 crore were approved without verifying the municipality’s cashbook. Pradhan has been summoned for questioning, and scrutiny of financial records from his tenure is underway.
The scam has exposed systemic failures across multiple departments, including the Treasury Directorate, District Urban Development Agency (DUDA), and the district administration.
Observers are raising concerns over how such large-scale fraud escaped detection despite regular review meetings.
With the investigation gaining momentum, further arrests and departmental accountability are expected in the coming weeks.
