Bhubaneswar: A senior manger working with the Odisha Construction Corporation Ltd (OCCL), a state government-owned construction company, was arrested on Tuesday by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the state crime branch for allegedly misappropriating Rs 3.1 crore for execution of a road project.
Police said the accused, Biswajit Biswal, 53, had earlier been placed under suspension by the government.
The cops said the accused misappropriated the amount meant for construction of an internal road at Infovalley, which is being developed on the city outskirts.
"The project was given to the OCCL by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) in 2017. The project cost was Rs 12.9 crore and the work was scheduled to be completed by April this year," said an EOW official.
The police said Biswal was the in-charge of the project and two bank accounts had been opened in the name of the OCCL.
"The accused was authorised to operate both the accounts. The OCCL had transferred Rs 3.15 crore to the accounts for execution of work. However, the accused subsequently transferred Rs 3.1 crore to other accounts," said the police official.
Biswal later failed to provide utilisation certificate and vouchers for the money.
"The corporation later conducted an inquiry and found Biswal guilty of fraud. A case was registered on August 21 on the basis of a complaint filed by Bibhuti Bhusan Sahoo, the company secretary of the OCCL. We are also probing to find out the involvement of others in the fraud," the police said.
Biswal was arrested under section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code. Biswal was on Tuesday produced before a local court in Bhubaneswar and later sent to the Jahrapada jail after his bail plea was rejected.
The OOCL was established in the year 1962 to carry out specialised civil and mechanical construction projects. The corporation is headed by the principal secretary, water resources department as ex-officio chairman.
The corporation has constructed a number of overbridges, dams and spillways across the state.
