Rourkela: Special Vigilance Judge in Sundargarh today pronounced the judgment of conviction against a former secretary, a former executive engineer, and a legal assistant of Rourkela Development Authority (RDA) in a criminal misconduct case.

The three were identified as former secretary Medisetti Seshadri, former PHD-cum-engineering member Siva Charan Mohanty, and legal assistant Manoj Kumar Dash. They were convicted in TR case (No-17/269 of 2001-2016 arising out of Sambalpur Vigilance PS case (No-40, dated 30.09.1999).

According to a source, the retired officials Medisetti Seshadri and Siva Mohanty committed criminal misconduct by using their position as public servants and showed undue official favours to Manoj Dash in illegally giving him appointment as the legal assistant in RDA, by obtaining pecuniary advantage.

Vigilance Court sentenced to Siva Mohanty to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for two years and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000, and in default, to undergo further RI for three months for the offence U/s 13(2) r/w Section 13(1)(d) of the PC Act, 1988.

The Court also sentenced to Monoj Dash to undergo RI for two years and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000, and in default, to undergo further RI for three months for the offence U/s 13(2) r/w Section 13(1)(d) of the PC Act, 1988/109 of the IPC.

The UTP period if any, undergone by the convicts in this case, be set off as per Section 428 of CrPC.

Notably, as Medisetti Seshadri did not appear before the Court today, a non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against him.

Another accused Barsa Majhi, Special Officer, ITDA, Rourkela was abated on May 20, 2005.

Vigilance DSP Bishnu Charan Dash in Angul Unit had investigated the case and special Vigilance PP Shyam Sundar Mishra in Sundargarh had conducted the case on behalf of the prosecution.