Bhubaneswar: A former Senior Revenue Assistant (SRA) from the Sub-Collector’s Office in Chhatrapur, located in Ganjam district, has been detained by the Odisha Vigilance for allegedly misappropriating Rs 8.63 lakh that was supposed to be contributed to the Red Cross Fund.
The individual, identified as Sadasiba Pradhan, previously worked at the Sub-Collector’s Office in Chhatrapur and is presently assigned to the Tahsil Office in Surada, also in Ganjam district.
Pradhan was responsible for overseeing the Nizarat Section within the Sub-Collector’s Office, which involved managing government funds as well as the Red Cross Fund.
On Sunday, the Odisha Vigilance released a statement indicating that an investigation was launched after allegations surfaced regarding financial mismanagement linked to unaccounted government funds collected in the Nizarat Section from December 2023 to August 2025.
During the inquiry, the Vigilance department discovered that Pradhan had issued official receipt books and had collected a total of Rs 8,63,200 for the Red Cross Fund within the specified timeframe.
However, instead of transferring the funds to the appropriate bank account at the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Chhatrapur, he is accused of misappropriating the entire sum for his own use.
After his arrest, Pradhan was presented before the Special Vigilance Judge in Brahmapur.
A case has been registered against him at the Brahmapur Vigilance Police Station on October 31, under Section 13(2) in conjunction with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, as well as Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The Vigilance agency has indicated that further investigations are ongoing.
Official reports reveal that between June 12, 2024, and October 26, 2026, Odisha Vigilance has filed 516 cases concerning various corruption allegations, resulting in the arrest of 537 government officials and others. During this timeframe, 144 cases of misappropriation were recorded against 371 individuals, which included 34 Class-I and 39 Class-II officers, who are suspected of embezzling public funds totaling Rs 76.96 crore.
