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Many women employees fall in Vigilance Department net

BHUBANESWAR: When a woman employee of Orissa State Housing Board (OSHB) was trapped accepting bribe by vigilance sleuths, a few eyebrows were raised. But contrary to public perception, more and more women are getting caught in vigilance net during last one year.

According to a fact-sheet prepared by State Vigilance wing as many as 36 women were found entangled in corruption while many of them were arrested and sent to jail.

Women who were found to be on the wrong side of law included doctor, teacher, police inspector, sarpanch and even housewife.

Shradhanjali Mohapatra, the woman employee of OSHB, was accepting Rs. 3,500 from a retired State government employee who wanted to transfer ownership of property in favour of his daughter-in-law.

While the Vigilance Department officials were investigating corruption charges against doctor Taramani Patnaik, assistant director of Orissa Health System Development Project (OHSDP), doctor Surama Behera, a gynecologist, was caught accepting illegal gratification of Rs. 2,5000 in Nowrangpur district.

Padmabati Das, former branch manager of Bhadrak Central Cooperative Bank, Mahila Branch, was facing charges of misappropriation of bank money through false financing under self help group (SHG) scheme. Money involved in the case was Rs. 3.99 lakh.

One of the dangerous charges was levelled against Budhini Minz, a former sub inspector of police, who was posted in Mahila police station in Rourkela. She was alleged to have accepted Rs. 5,000 from a person to release the latter’s parent on bail as per direction of Orissa High Court.

Similarly, Kumari Kabitarani, who was inspector of the same police station, fell into vigilance net for demanding illegal gratification of Rs. 4,000. Both the lady inspectors were arrested and later released on the bail.

There was more diversified women group in corruption cases. Two contracts Sujata Mandal and Puspalata Parida were found misappropriating government money to the tune of Rs. 1.63 lakh by creating false record by showing execution of a road repair work.

There were six women sarpanches caught by the Vigilance Department while they were bungling government money. What was more interesting was that two women who were executing child development programmes were found to be corrupt.

Similarly, SHG members representing women renaissance in rural pockets were detected to have entered into criminal conspiracy showing undue official favour. Sandhyarani Samantray, wife of Himansu Sekhar Samantray, an IAS officer, was charged under corruption cases for possessing of disproportionate assets.

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