Ex-Nazir of Jajpur tehsil held in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR/JAJPUR :  The Vigilance on Thursday arrested former Nazir of Jajpur tehsil, Rajat Kumar Routray, for allegedly misappropriating government funds worth Rs 4.95 crore. The accused reportedly swindled the money between 2006 and 2016 with the help of other officials of the tehsil.

A special team of Board of Revenue in Cuttack had conducted an audit in 2016. On the basis of the audit report, Vigilance initiated an inquiry into the matter.  Routray was dismissed from service, but absconding ever since the audit. He had distanced himself from his family members and relatives, and managed to remain untraceable all these years. He was also frequently changing his places of stay and mobile numbers to evade arrest.

Odisha Vigilance formed a special team about a month back to arrest Routray. The anti-corruption agency’s officers traced Routray to Cuttack’s CDA area on Thursday. He was staying on rent there in the fake name of Ajit Mohapatra. 

“Cuttack Vigilance had registered a case against Routray, another former Jajpur tehsil Nazir Sarat Chandra Barik and three former tehsildars - Laxmikanta Mishra, Gourahari Behera and Mamata Barik. Further investigation is underway,” said a senior officer.