Former OAV Binika Principal Arrested for Embezzling Over ₹55 Lakh

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Monday arrested Soumya Ranjan Kheti, the former Principal of Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV), Binika in Subarnapur district, on charges of embezzling more than ₹55 lakh from government funds intended for student welfare schemes.

According to Vigilance sources, Kheti allegedly misappropriated ₹55,02,610 between 2021 and 2025. The funds were reportedly diverted from the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme, Mo School Abhijan, and Girls’ Hostel Fund contingencies during his tenure as Principal.

Kheti had assumed the role of Principal on September 29, 2021. Following intelligence inputs indicating large-scale irregularities, Vigilance authorities launched a detailed probe, which confirmed the misappropriation of funds.

A formal case has been registered under Sambalpur Vigilance P.S. Case No. 19/2025, citing Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, along with other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Kheti has been taken into custody and is currently under interrogation to trace the full extent of the misappropriation and identify how the siphoned funds were used.