Odisha Vigilance records 50% conviction rate in corruption cases: Report

Odisha Vigilance has recorded 50 per cent conviction rate in the corruption cases in the year 2023. This was stated in its annual report. At least 265 corruption cases were registered by the Vigilance department with the arrest of 166 officers on graft charges.

Moreover, the Vigilance registered 85 disproportionate assets cases last year while assets and properties worth Rs 124 crore of those involved in corruption have been seized.

As per the report, 123 people including 109 government officials were arrested in 98 bribe cases. In this year, the Vigilance claimed to have made two cases involving the highest cash seizures. In one case, cash worth Rs 12 lakh was being paid in cash to an official while bribe worth Rs 12 lakh was being paid through a blank cheque.

The report also stated that as many as 26 class-I officers, 32 class-II officers and 85 class-II officers were arrested in the corruption cases in 2023. The investigations in 406 cases have been completed at a rate of 153 percent, the report claimed, adding that the Vigilance has broken its 10-year record by carrying out more number of corruption cases.

Speaking to media, Vigilance SP M Radhakrishna said, “The Vigilance department has registered 265 criminal cases in 2023. We have also registered 85 DA cases.  Properties worth Rs 124 crore have been unearthed.”