Odisha Vigilance arrests Nimapada tehsildar for corruption

BHUBANESWAR: The Tehsildar of Nimapada in Puri district, Rama Chandra Jena, was arrested by the state vigilance directorate on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in massive corruption and carrying unaccounted cash of around Rs 5 lakh. The anti-corruption wing was stunned to find Rama Chandra, who was booked by the vigilance in two separate corruption cases in the past, in possession of five PAN cards in his name.
Rama Chandra, an Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer, was also in-charge sub-registrar at Nimapada. The vigilance officials have also arrested his younger brother Laxman Jena for allegedly abetting Rama Chandra’s corrupt activities.
“We intercepted Rama Chandra near his quarter at Nimapada and seized Rs 4.65 lakh cash from him. During his house search, Rs 50,000 more cash was recovered. Simultaneous searches were conducted at his residence at Sec-11-CDA in Cuttack and his native place at Dhanmandal in Kendrapada district to ascertain whether he possessed any disproportionate assets,” a senior vigilance officer said.
After coming across five PAN cards in his name, the vigilance directorate has roped in the income tax department to inquire into the matter. The five PAN cards bore different numbers and dates of birth. His father’s name was found different in three cards.
“We have come to know that his younger brother Laxman had been managing Rama Chandra’s bribe money for the past few years. Laxman confessed before us that his brother gave him Rs 10 lakh cash (bribe money) in three phases in September to deposit in the bank. Laxman had reached Nimapada to collect Rs 4.65 lakh from Rama Chandra this morning before we seized the cash,” the officer said. Laxman used to work as a truck helper in 2002-03, later a truck driver in 2006-07, a taxi driver in 2012-13 and Mo Bus driver in 2018-19. He is jobless now.
The vigilance had registered a case against Rama Chandra in 2011 for carrying out illegal settlement of a valuable land and issuing patta and another case in 2018 for doing illegal conversion of an agricultural land for non-agricultural purpose.
Inspired By