Bhubaneswar, March 15: The Special Judge, Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar has pronounced a verdict on Friday, convicting Vinod Kumar, IAS, former Managing Director of Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC); Purna Chandra Das, former Executive Director, Technical, ORHDC; Pradeep Kumar Rout, former Accounts Officer, ORHDC; and Ashok Kumar Nanda, Secretary of VIKASH (NGO), Bhubaneswar, for corruption within ORHDC.

All four convicts were indicted by Odisha Vigilance under Sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and under Sections 420/120-B IPC.

As per an official statement from Odisha Vigilance, Vinod Kumar, Purna Chandra Das, and Pradeep Kumar Rout were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 25,000 each. In default of fine payment, they face an additional two months of rigorous imprisonment for each count under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Sections 420/120-B IPC.

Ashok Kumar Nanda, Secretary of VIKASH (NGO), received a similar sentence of three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 for offences under Sections 420/120-B IPC.

This marks the ninth conviction related to corruption within ORHDC, implicating Vinod Kumar, IAS, former MD of ORHDC, and other officials for colluding in criminal activities with private individuals.

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