Odisha vigilance unearths govt fund of ₹9.24 crore siphoned off by clerical staff
Odisha Vigilance officials have uncovered a massive ₹9.24 crore fraud involving clerical staff at a government engineering office. The accused allegedly created fake bills and used 77 bank accounts belonging to relatives to siphon off public funds.
Why it matters
This highlights significant vulnerabilities in government financial management systems and the ongoing challenge of corruption in public administration.
Odisha Vigilance Directorate has detected massive fraud carried out by clerical staff at an engineer’s office where false bills pertaining to provisional gratuity, unutilized leave salary in the names of retired employees, and ingenuine claims were processed and fund to the tune of ₹9.24 crore was embezzled.
“During investigation, it has come to notice that between financial year of 2022–23 and 2025–26, accused persons Banalata Mohanty, section officer, and Bibhudutta Nayak, junior assistant both attached to the establishment section at the Office of the Superintending Engineer (SE), Roads & Buildings (R&B) Division-I, Bhubaneswar have entered into conspiracy with unknown associates, fraudulently generated fake sanction orders and bills,” said the Vigilance Directorate in a release on Sunday (September 27, 2026).
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