Retired IFS officer convicted in vigilance case

A special vigilance court here today sentenced a retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer to two years rigorous imprisonment and penalty of Rs three lakh to after convicting him in a disproportionate assets case.
Special Court (Vigilance), Bhubaneswar, Judge Balakrushna Mohapatra found during the trial that Laxmidhar Bhoi, an IFS officer, who retired from the service in 2002, owned disproportionate assets worth Rs 8.06 lakh.
A case was made against Bhoi, Ex-DFO, Kendu Leaf Division, Kuchinda, Sambalpur under section 13(2), 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act after finding him guilty of possessing disproportionate assets worth of Rs 8,06,422.
"The court sentenced Laxmidhar Bhoi to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and to pay fine of Rs three lakh and in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for another six months," said Sunil Kumar Pati, Special PP, Special Court Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.

The vigilance had submitted a charge sheet against Bhoi for amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 11.87 lakh, Pati said.
However, the court found evidence of Rs 8.06 lakh disproportionate assets of him and awarded him two years jail term and Rs three lakh fine.

On December 26 and 27 of 1997, Bhoi's official residence and office chamber at Kuchinda, Sambalpur and residential house at Geetagram, Angul, were searched simultaneously to detect disproportionate assets.
After investigation charge sheet was placed against Laxmidhar Bhoi, on May 31, 2002 for possession of disproportionate assets worth of Rs 11,87,347.
Bhoi joined in government service as a Forest Ranger on October 3, 1962 and thereafter he promoted to the rank of Assistant Conservator of Forest in the year 1972.

He subsequently became the Deputy Conservator of Forest in 1987. He was Divisional Forest Officer (Kendu Leaf) in Jeypur Kendu Leaf Division and Kuchinda Kendu Leaf Division from 1992 till retirement on March 31, 2002.