Odisha Vigilance Arrests Three More in Rs 9.24 Crore Case

Odisha Vigilance has arrested three more government employees in Bhubaneswar in an alleged Rs 9.24 crore embezzlement case linked to the Roads and Buildings Department R&B Division-I office. The arrests increased the total number of accused detained in the investigation to nine.

According to OdishaTV, the amount involved in the case is Rs 9,24,10,193, with investigators examining alleged irregularities connected to fake bills and financial processing. The latest arrests involved employees from treasury and R&B offices.

Odisha Vigilance arrested Krishna Chandra Behera, a senior accountant at the Bhubaneswar District Treasury Office, Biswanath Das, a senior assistant at the Puri R&B Division, and Kumud Sahu, a peon at the Bhubaneswar R&B Division-I office, according to OdishaTV.

The three accused were produced before the Special Vigilance Court after their arrests. Times of India reported that the investigation expanded after earlier arrests in the same case.

Earlier, Odisha Vigilance had arrested six people, including Section Officer Banalata Mohanty and Junior Assistant Bibhudatta Nayak, who were identified in earlier reports as main accused in the alleged fraud. Four other staff members were also arrested during that round, according to OdishaTV.

The alleged irregularities occurred between the 2022-23 and 2025-26 financial years. Investigators said fake sanction orders and bills were allegedly prepared using names of retired employees for provisional gratuity, unutilised leave payments, and office contingency expenses.

According to OdishaTV, the alleged bills were processed through the Integrated Financial Management System IFMS. Investigators also found altered bank account details in forged bills and traced transfers to 77 bank accounts belonging to 48 people.

The administration has recovered Rs 3.96 crore of the allegedly misappropriated amount, according to OdishaTV. The Vigilance investigation is continuing to identify other people who may be involved in the alleged embezzlement.