BARGARH: An assistant engineer of RWSS, Bijepur was dismissed by the state government for tendering false evidence during the trial of a Vigilance case.Upendra Bhanja Naik, the AE in question, was serving as JE, RWSS Section, Sohela when he was requisitioned as an official witness in the detection of a trap against accused Anand Saraf, the then senior clerk, office of executive engineer, West Electrical Division, Bargarh.
Although Naik had witnessed the transaction of bribe, during trial, he retracted from his earlier statements and deposed false evidence to help the accused leading to acquittal in the case, the Vigilance said. Hence, as per the recommendation of the Odisha Vigilance, the departmental proceeding was initiated against Naik by the Housing and Urban Development department and he was dismissed from service. The dismissal orders were received on Friday at the Vigilance Directorate.
Vigilance director, YK Jethwa said despite several precautions, at times, some official witnesses, during the trial, turn hostile and resile from their previous statements, thereby helping the accused to get acquitted from the case. “In such cases, strong criminal and departmental actions are initiated against them,” he said.
The anti-corruption wing said vigilance cases end in acquittal due to complainants and witnesses turning hostile during trial and giving false testimony to help corrupt public and government servants from being prosecuted.
In order to tackle the hostility of witnesses, aggressive action has been initiated by Odisha Vigilance recently. As per the strategy, steps are being taken to initiate criminal action for perjury under the IPC against such complainants and witnesses turning hostile, it added.