SITIKANTA DAS MOHAPATRA Vs. STATE OF ODISHA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The legality, propriety and correctness of the order dtd. 29/10/2024 passed in C.T.R. No.07 of 2022 by the learned Special Judge (Vigilance) Sundargarh has been called in question in this Revision.

(2.) The background facts of the case are that the Principal of Koira Degree College, namely, Smt. Laxmi Ray, obtained 40% Block Grant by misusing her official position and producing forged documents by altering the date of her joining, thereby causing loss to the government exchequer. The case record reveals that Koira College was established in the year 1992 by a management committee comprising the villagers of Koira. In 1993, approval was granted by the competent authority for the functioning of +2 Arts and Commerce streams, and in 1996, permission was accorded under Sec. 57 of the Orissa Education Act, 1969. In 1994, the +3 Arts stream was introduced in the college. The enquiry reveals that persons namely, Arun Kumar Das (Lecturer in History), Pankaj Mohan Panigrahi (Lecturer in Political Science), Dhananjaya Sahoo (Lecturer in Oriya), Sanghamitra Satpathy (Lecturer in Economics), and Sebak Bandhu Nayak (Lecturer in Logic) were selected by the Selection Committee and joined as lecturers on 16/7/1992. Smt. Sanghamitra Satpathy was appointed as the Principal of the said college. Subsequently, 21 more individuals were appointed as lecturers. Vide Resolution No. 52 dtd. 31/3/2002, Koira College and Koira Degree College were segregated with effect from 1/4/2002 in respect of administration, finance, staff, and infrastructure. Separate Governing Bodies were constituted for the +2 and +3 streams. Up to 31/3/2002, resolutions, records, attendance registers, and acquaintance registers were maintained in the +2 College for both streams.

(3.) Since Smt. Laxmi Ray joined only on 16/10/2003, she was not entitled to receive Block Grant salary. However, in order to claim the benefit, she prepared forged documents-such as an appointment letter, resolutions, acquaintance roll, and attendance register with the assistance of Sri Sitikantha Das Mahapatra, Lecturer, and Sri Paramananda Behera, Junior Clerk, among others. These documents falsely showed her date of joining as 18/8/1995 and were used to recommend her name to the Higher Education Department for inclusion under the Block Grant Scheme.