Bhubaneswar: Vinod Kumar, a disgraced IAS officer and former Managing Director of the Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC), was convicted for the 11th time in a corruption case Tuesday.
The Bhubaneswar Vigilance Court found Kumar guilty of misappropriating funds and sentenced him, along with six other individuals, to three years in prison and a fine of Rs 50,000 each.
Odisha Vigilance shared the news on Twitter, stating, “Sri Vinod Kumar, IAS, Ex-MD, ORHDC, who was charge-sheeted by #Odisha #Vigilance for the illegal sanction of loans to M/s City Builders, causing loss to ORHDC, was sentenced along with 6 others to 3 years in jail & a fine of Rs. 50,000. He was previously convicted in 10 other corruption cases.”
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Sri Vinod Kumar, IAS, Ex-MD, ORHDC, who was charge sheeted by #Odisha #Vigilance for illegal sanction of loans to M/s City Builders causing loss to ORHDC, was sentenced along with 6 others to 3 years jail & fine Rs.50000/-. He was convicted in 10 corruption cases earlier.
— Odisha Vigilance (@OdishaVigilance) January 28, 2025
The seven convicts are Vinod Kumar, Former Managing Director, ORHDC, Bhubaneswar; Swosti Ranjan Mohapatra, Ex-Company Secretary; Pradeep Kumar Rout, Ex-Accounts Officer; Satya Prakash Behera, Ex-Junior Loan Officer; Janendra Swain, Ex-System Analyst; Umesh Chandra Swain, Ex-Recovery Assistant, all of ORHDC, Bhubaneswar and Lingaraj Patra, Managing Director, M/s City Builders and Developers Pvt Ltd, Bhubaneswar.
This ruling is part of an ongoing effort to hold former senior officials accountable for their involvement in the ORHDC housing scam.
Earlier, former ORHDC company secretary Swosti Ranjan Mohapatra, ex-loan approval officer Umesh Swain, and two managing partners of the builder company were arrested for their alleged roles. Kumar, Mohapatra, and Swain were accused of conspiring to extend undue favors to the construction company.