Junior Engineer Arrested for Misappropriating ₹22 Lakh in Bolangir District

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Saturday arrested Jaynarayan Bagh, Junior Engineer of Bongomunda Block in Bolangir district, for allegedly misappropriating ₹22,16,072 in government funds.

According to Vigilance officials, Bagh is accused of preparing false muster rolls, inflating work measurements, and showing non-existent renovation projects for tanks under the Belpada Gram Panchayat. The irregularities reportedly took place during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 financial years.

A detailed probe revealed that of the five tanks claimed to have been renovated under various government schemes, one tank shown as renovated in 2023–24 did not exist. Following the investigation, the Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station registered a case under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Sections 316, 336(3), and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Bagh was subsequently apprehended and forwarded to the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bolangir, officials confirmed.

Further investigation is underway to trace the misappropriated funds and determine the involvement of other officials or contractors in the case, sources said.