Vigilance court sentences ex DFO to 2-year jail term

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Special Vigilance Court today awarded a two-year jail term and Rs 3 lakh fine to former India Forest Service (IFS) officer Laxmidhara Bhoi in a disproportionate assets case.

Judge Balakrushna Mohapatra of the special vigilance court found during the trial that Bhoi owned disproportionate assets worth Rs 8.06 lakh.

Notably, the vigilance sleuths had raided the residence of Bhoi, the then Kuchinda Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), on December 28th in 1997.

Sunil Pati, Public Prosecutor, Special Vigilance Court, Bhubaneswar, said, “The vigilance had submitted a charge sheet against Bhoi for amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 11.87 lakh. However, the court found evidence of Rs Rs 8.06 lakh disproportionate assets of him and awarded two years jail term and Rs 3 lakh fine.”

Bhoi would have undergo an additional six-month jail sentence if he is unable to pay the fine, he added.