BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch (CB) of Odisha Police on Tuesday arrested three persons in connection with fake appointments in Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). They are Kedar Nath Behera, Pravakar Mishra and BK Rout. The CB was entrusted with the investigation in 2008 by the Orissa High Court. Behera was formerly a sanitary inspector. Mishra has also retired, but Rout is a billing assistant. As many as 146 people were apparently appointed in posts pertaining to roads and drains (gangs), maintenance and parks, and posts like watchmen, pharmacists and even teachers in the then CMC-run schools vide letters no. 4439 to 4442 issued on June 29, 1998. The letters were detected to be fake by the then chief executive Vishal Dev in 2000. The office issue register did not mention the passing of the order nor was there any entry on the issuance of the appointment letters. Most importantly, the appointments were made neither with the approval of the Government nor against any sanctioned post. Once the matter came to light, the High Court asked the CB to probe. Curiously, the then sarpanch in Balasore’s Simulia was also found to be drawing salary from the Corporation as a drain gang staff under the health wing for over a decade. Prashanta Samal, the sarpanch of Bauripada gram panchayat under Simulia panchayat samiti (PS), was allegedly drawing salary since 1996 though there was no valid appointment order in his name nor was he reporting for duty. The incident had come to light after a former chairperson of Simulia PS __ Sarojini Mohapatra __ went on to lodge a complaint with the then CMC commissioner five years back. The CB has booked a case under Sections 418/419/420/409/120(B)/468/471/177/114 and 34 of IPC.
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