Orissa HC reserves order on convicted IAS officer's plea

The Orissa High Court today reserved its order on a petition filed by convicted IAS officer Vinod Kumar seeking quashing of a non-bailable warrant issued against him by a vigilance court in a corruption case.

On July 6, Kumar had challenged in the high court the conviction order and issuance of the warrant against him.

He had stated that the lower court had passed its judgement without hearing him.

Justice J P Dash after hearing the petitioner reserved the order, which is likely to be pronounced on July 19.

Till then, the high court gave an interim protection to Kumar directing the vigilance police not to arrest him.

The special vigilance court in Bhubaneswar recently found Kumar guilty of financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 55 lakh during his tenure as managing director of Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation in 2000. The court had issued the non-bailable warrant against him.

The 1989 batch IAS officer is currently posted as an officer on special duty in the state's Higher Education Department.