Odisha Vigilance Arrests 3 More Officials in ₹9.24 Crore R&B Division Scam

The newly arrested officials have been identified as Krushna Chandra Behera, Senior Accountant at the District Treasury Office, Bhubaneswar; Biswanath Das, Senior Assistant of R&B Division, Puri; and Kumud Sahoo, a peon attached to the SE Office of R&B Division-I, Bhubaneswar.

According to Vigilance officials, the scam involved the fraudulent processing of fake bills through the treasury system, leading to the alleged misappropriation of government funds worth ₹9.24 crore.

Investigators claim that a network of officials and facilitators collaborated to divert public money through unauthorised transactions.

During the investigation, Vigilance found that Bibhudutta Nayak, one of the key accused already under arrest, allegedly transferred ₹3.9 lakh through multiple digital transactions to Krushna Chandra Behera to facilitate the clearance of fraudulent bills.

The probe further revealed that family members’ bank accounts were allegedly used to channel diverted funds.

Vigilance officials found substantial sums deposited into accounts linked to relatives of the accused persons before portions of the money were reportedly sent back to the main accused, while the rest was withdrawn in cash.

Earlier, six accused, including alleged kingpins Banalata Mohanty and Bibhudutta Nayak, were arrested in connection with the case.

With the latest arrests, investigators have intensified efforts to trace the money trail and identify any additional individuals involved in the fraud.

The case has been registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The Vigilance Directorate continues its investigation into the high-profile scam.