Typist held for issuing certificates with forged signature

Nine persons displaced due to an industrial project had applied for displacement certificates at the office of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (southern division).

Typist Siba Narayan Panda posted at the RDC office allegedly took Rs 6,000 bribe from each applicant and issued duplicate certificates by forging the signature of Koraput sub-collector Rasmita Panda, they said.

The certificates were issued on February 22, 2013 and by producing those certificates the nine persons had got jobs in the public sector plant, police said. "The matter came to light after company authorities sent the certificates to the tehsil office of Koraput for verification."

"Based on the complain of Koraput Tehsildar Ranjan Kumar Jena, we had registered a case and Panda was arrested while he was on an official tour to Koraput on Wendnesday," said IIC of Koraput police station Subash Chandra Raiguru.

Police said preliminary investigation reveals that the nine beneficiaries - Bhuban Mali, Bina Khora, Khagapati Hantal, Runi Saunta, Lalit Khillo, Mohan Khosla, Sarat Nag, Dhanu Takri and Sapura Saunta - were unaware of being supplied fake certificates.