PURI: Sea Beach police on Friday registered a criminal case against eight office-bearers of Hotel Association of Puri (HAP) following a direction by the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) in connection with the misuse of funds granted by Tourism department towards annual Puri Beach Festival.
The irregularity came to light after social activist Jagannath Bastia obtained information from the Tourism department under RTI.
The department had released funds to HAP from 2009 till date for organising annual Puri Beach Festival. However, the HAP did not file utilisation certificate amounting to `15 lakh and audit report amounting to `37 lakh with the department as is mandated by the Government. Bastia stated before the SDJM that some HAP officials withdrew lakhs of rupees from the association’s account violating HAP’s by-law and there were gross irregularities.
The Sea Beach police registered a criminal case against its chairman Bijay Krushna Das, president Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra, vice-president Taluchha Nilakanth Mahapatra, treasurer Raj Haldar and joint secretary Durgaprasad Rath under Sections 120(b), 420, 465, 468, 471, 200 and 193 IPC. Inspector in-charge of Sea Beach police station Gouranga Charan Prusty confirmed that as directed by SDJM, Puri criminal case has been filed against eight office- bearers of HAP.