Bhawanipatna: A former government employee has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty in a corruption case linked to bribery in the electricity department. Ajit Kumar Mishra, who served as a Junior Accountant in the office of the Bhawanipatna Electrical Sub-Division (SDO) and has since retired, faced trial for allegedly demanding illegal gratification from a consumer in exchange for reducing an electricity bill.
The case originated from a complaint lodged in 2019, prompting Odisha Vigilance to register Koraput Vigilance Police Station Case No. 27 dated 02.10.2019 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. According to vigilance officials, Mishra had approached a consumer with an offer to lower his pending electricity bill but demanded a bribe of ₹5,000 to carry out the manipulation. Acting on the complaint, vigilance officers laid a trap and subsequently charge-sheeted him after gathering adequate evidence.
After several rounds of hearings, the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna, pronounced the judgment on Thursday. Mishra was convicted for demanding and accepting the bribe amount and was sentenced to three years of simple imprisonment. In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a fine of ₹20,000. Failure to pay the fine would attract further legal consequences as prescribed under the law.
Officials of Odisha Vigilance have stated that they will now initiate the mandatory process to recommend the stoppage of Mishra’s pension benefits, a step that follows automatically after the conviction of a retired government servant in corruption-related offences. The proposal will be forwarded to the competent authority for appropriate action.
The vigilance department has reiterated that strict measures will continue against public servants who misuse their official position for personal gain. They added that the conviction serves as a warning to employees who attempt to exploit citizens seeking routine services.
Further details on the investigation, trial proceedings, and vigilance follow-up actions are expected to be shared in the detailed report that will be released shortly.
