Two auditors nabbed for taking bribe

Baripada: Two government auditors were arrested on Friday for allegedly collecting bribes from schools and hostels run by the ST & SC Development department in Mayurbhanj district, officials said. The arrested officials were identified as Prasanta Kumar Pradhan and Pragyan Prakash Patra, both auditors with the ST & SC Development department. The duo were intercepted by Vigilance sleuths while returning to their hotel after completing audit work at the District Welfare Officer’s office in Baripada.

During the interception, Vigilance officials allegedly recovered Rs 5.51 lakh in suspected ill-gotten cash, kept in 52 envelopes and 20 loose bundles, from their possession. The sleuths subsequently searched their hotel rooms and recovered an additional Rs 8.86 lakh in cash, the Vigilance department said. As the officials allegedly failed to satisfactorily account for the cash, it was seized, it said.

Following the seizure, Vigilance sleuths also conducted searches at the duo’s official residences in Bhubaneswar. The accused had been staying in Baripada since August 30 to conduct an audit of the DWO office. They subsequently took up audits of Ashram and Sevashram schools, high schools, higher secondary schools and SSD hostels under the ST & SC Development department, the Vigilance department said.

The department alleged that the auditors had directed headmasters and hostel in-charges to report to Baripada with school and hostel files and registers for the audit. They also allegedly demanded Rs 10 per enrolled student from the school and hostel authorities as bribe for ensuring smooth completion of the audit, it said.

The Vigilance department has registered two cases against the officials under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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The Hans India