Case lodged against Kujang BDO, sarpanch for ‘fraud’ in rural election  

JAGATSINGHPUR: Police have registered a criminal case against Kujang BDO and Paradeepgarh sarpanch on charges of forgery by submitting false affidavit and documents during the recently concluded panchayat elections. Basing on a direction of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Kujang, police registered a case against BDO Soumyaranjan Panigrahi and sarpanch Sasmita Behera.

Sources said, rival candidate for the post of sarpanch Laxmipriya Behera had come to know that both Soumyaranjan and Sasmita committed fraud during the rural elections. She alleged that the BDO helped the sarpanch in the fraud by allegedly misusing power which she came to know about from documents sought by one Mihir Kumar Patra through Right to Information Act 2005 on last March 17, 2022.

Though the affidavit form submitted to the Kujang BDO - who also is the election officer - on January 19, 2022 by election officer was not signed by Behera and there were no witnesses during the swearing before the Notary Public, Kujang, the same document sought by the complainant from the Public Information Officer (PIO), Kujang block, had the signature of sarpanch Behera with that of the two witnesses.

Complainant Laxmipriya alleged that Sasmita did this in connivance with BDO-cum-election officer and lodged a case against both in Kujang police station on April 20, 2022.However, the IIC of Kujang police reportedly did not register a case. Later, Laxmipriya filed a complaint before JMFC, Kujang following which the court, on May 16, 2022, directed local police to register a case against them and submit a report.
Meanwhile, case has been registered against both sarpanch of Paradeepgarh and BDO-cum-election officer under Sections 465, 466, 471, 171-G and 34 IPC. No one has been arrested in this connection so far.