BERHAMPUR: A police officer was arrested in Odisha's Ganjam district for allegedly forging a magistrate's signature to secure the release of a man from jail on bail, officials said on Sunday.
Surya Narayan Behera, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police, was arrested on Friday, they said.
He was posted at a court in Buguda, inspector in-charge Chitta Ranjan Behera said.
A case under IPC section 466 (forgery of record of court) was registered against him after an FIR was filed by Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Sonali Aparajita on Wednesday, police said.
Behera allegedly forged the signature of the magistrate in a court order of the bail and submitted it to the jail superintendent to release a man, they said.
Babula Behera of Karchulli was arrested on the charge of attempt to murder his nephew, police said.
He had filed a bail petition before the Additional District Judge of Bhanjanagar for his daughter's marriage.
The bail order was passed on February 12 and sent to Buguda JMFC court, they said.
The Judicial Magistrate of Buguda was on leave on that day and the JMFC of Aska was in charge.
Instead of presenting the court document before the magistrate, the accused ASI allegedly forged the signature of the judicial magistrate on the bail order and the accused was released, police said.