OAS officer convicted, sentenced in graft case

A vigilance court of special judge, Bhubaneswar today convicted a senior officer Pravat Kumar Mahanandia on two counts of corruption charges and sentenced him to undergo simple imprisonment of three years each.
He was slapped with a fine of Rs 5,000 on each charge and in default of payment of fine, he will further undergo simple imprisonment of six months, the court said adding that the sentences shall run concurrently.
At present working as additional sub-collector of Malkangiri district, Mahanandia while officiating as Pipili tehsildar in August 2003, was booked by the anti-corruption wing of the State police under several charges of Prevention of Corruption Act for demanding and accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 2000.

Mahanandia had taken the bribe amount from a Dandamukundapur villager for conversion of his agricultural land to homestead land and he was caught red-handed while accepting the illegal gratification in his office chamber on August 4, 2003.
He was arrested and remanded to court on the following day. After he was chargesheeted, Mahanandia was released on bail and reinstated in service pending his trial in the court of law.
The officer was not immediately available for comment.