BHUBANESWAR: In a major breakthrough, former Narayanapatna block development officer (BDO) Ramesh Chandra Sahoo, who was on the run for eight years over his alleged involvement in seven corruption cases has been nabbed by Vigilance officers from New Delhi.
Sahoo was absconding since 2015. He changed his locations frequently in New Delhi and neighbouring areas to evade detection. The Vigilance had intensified his search a few months back and been trailing him. He was tracked to Jorhat in Assam and then to New Delhi recently.
On receiving information about his whereabouts, a team of Koraput Vigilance reached the national capital and arrested him from Munirka. Sources said Sahoo’s two daughters are staying in New Delhi and were possibly assisting him. Koraput Vigilance registered all the cases against him between April and August 2015.
Officials said Sahoo has swindled around Rs 34 lakh by not executing various construction works of Anganwadi centres, roads and cross drainage, diversion weir and field channel, spring-based water supply and field channel in various parts of Narayanapatna block. The last case against Sahoo was registered on August 3, 2015, for misappropriating panchayat funds of Rs 5 lakh.
On Vigilance’s recommendation, the government suspended Sahoo in 2015 while he was posted as BDO at Nandahandi in Nabarangpur district and departmental proceedings were initiated against him. “Initial investigation suggests Sahoo was staying with his wife in Delhi and kept changing his rented accommodations frequently to evade arrest.
He was absconding after swindling government money and possibly did not consider continuing with his job as he was supposed to retire in 2018,” said a Vigilance officer. He was produced before Patiala House Court on Monday and brought to Odisha on transit remand in the evening.