JAJPUR: Vigilance officials on Wednesday arrested a private banker for allegedly embezzling government funds to the tune of Rs 5.56 crore in Jajpur district.
The accused is Matruprasad Mohanty, the branch head of Jana Small Finance Bank in Bhadrak.
Officials of the anti-corruption agency said investigation revealed that the accused’s father Pradip Kumar Mohanty was serving as a headmaster in a government high school under Korei block education office (BEO). After retirement Pradip was re-engaged in the Korei BEO office around seven years back.
The accused in connivance with his father allegedly accessed the human resource management system (HRMS) of the School and Mass Education department illegally and targeted the IDs of 13 retired teachers of Korei BEO office, falsifying records to show them as ‘active’ in service.
Pradip allegedly prepared monthly pension bills in their names, routing the funds through a series of transactions into accounts held by him, his son, and other family members across various State Bank of India (SBI) branches. Matruprasad later allegedly facilitated the misappropriation of the government funds to the tune of Rs 5.56 crore in the name of 13 retired teachers over six years between November 2018 and September 2024.
“The accused and his father used forged documents and showed 13 retired teachers as active in service. The father-son duo misappropriated the teachers’ monthly salaries by transferring the funds to their personal bank accounts,” said the Vigilance department.
A case has been registered in Vigilance police station, Cuttack and the accused bank officer was arrested and produced in court on Wednesday. Efforts are underway to arrest Pradip, who is absconding, said an official.