Crime Branch sleuths arrest cashier at the Jajpur district panchayat office Bichitra Nanda Mohanty for his economic offence on Friday. The Economic Offence Wing of the Crime Branch arrested Mohanty from his house. “He was produced before court in the afternoon,” said deputy inspector general of police (Crime Branch) Rajesh Kumar. Mohanty was sent to jail after his bail plea was rejected by the court. District panchayat officer Debendra Nath Behera first lodged a complaint with Jajpur town police last year and later the matter was taken over by the Crime Branch. A special audit in the district panchayat office, Jajpur, between June 2008 and July 2011 detected that there were huge discrepancies in the government funds sanctioned for development work in various panchayats of Jajpur. “Mohanty was found to have cheated the government of over Rs 2.82 by manipulating cheques meant to be paid to sarpanchs,” said Kumar. After his activities came to notice, he was suspended from work in 2011. Text: Sandip Bal Telegraph picture