JAGATSINGHPUR: Scores of people, including farmers, on Monday staged a demonstration demanding action against the assistant secretary of Santh Binoba Cooperative Society, Katara Surendra Nath Khatua, for allegedly misappropriating public money to the tune of `20 lakh.
Khatua, belonging to Muraripur within Tirtol police limits, had collected the money from depositors, including farmers, in Tirtol block. The agitators were assured by society secretary Pradipta Kumar Nayak that action will be taken against Khatua. Later, an FIR was filed against the assistant secretary with Tirtol police.
A depositor, Sunakar Mallick of Bandalo, had deposited `1 lakh with the cooperative society on September 3 last year. However, after the fixed deposit matured, Khatua did not deposit the assured returns in Mallick’s bank account.
Two farmers, Dolagobinda Behera and Gateswar Mohanty of Nandan village, too levelled similar allegations against Khatua. Both of them had deposited `1 lakh each with the society recently and were issued fake bonds.
Tirtol IIC Krushna Prasad Mishra said a case has been registered against the assistant secretary, who is absconding. He said all relevant documents, bank accounts and ledger have been seized by the police for proceeding with the investigation.
With rise in such scams across the district, Jagatsinghpur Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra has sought the intervention of authorities of Cooperation department to get the cases investigated by either Crime Branch or the Vigilance department.