Cuttack: The Orissa High Court accepted the petition of Peeyusdhari Mohanty, the Director of Metro Builders, against the verdict of a Vigilance court in a case related to Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) and granted him bail. The court has also issued an interim stay on the fine order by the lower court.
The court of Special Judge (Vigilance) had sentenced Mohanty, former IAS officer Vinod Kumar, and Cuttack Barabati MLA Md Moquim to three years in jail in connection with a case related to loans to ineligible beneficiaries.
ORHDC was headed by senior IAS officer Kumar in 2001. Mohanty and Moquim headed Metro Builders which was one of the beneficiaries in the loan scam in 2001. Ineligible beneficiaries were given loans by ORHDC during this period in which Metro Builders received a loan of Rs 150 lakh.
The Odisha government had earlier dismissed senior IAS officer Kumar, a key accused in the rural housing scam who was convicted in two corruption cases and has 27 graft cases against him.
Kumar, Ex-MD, ORHDC, Swasti Ranjan Mohapatra, Ex-Company Secretary, ORHDC, Md Moquim, Managing Director, M/s Metro Builders, Peeyusdhari Mohanty, Director, Metro Builders, and Metro Builders Pvt. Ltd. were charge-sheeted by Odisha Vigilance in a case registered on March 30, 2005, under Sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and under Sections 120-B/468/471/420 of the IPC.
The charges were framed for showing undue favour, criminal misconduct, forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and obtaining pecuniary advantage to M/s. Metro Builders Pvt. Ltd. by releasing funds in the guise of loans meant for the rural poor, the Vigilance stated.
Kumar and Mohapatra were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 3 years and to pay a fine of Rs 50,000, and in default of payment of the fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for a period of 6 months on each count.
Moquim and Mohanty were also sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 3 years and pay a fine of Rs.50,000, and in default of payment of the fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for a period of 6 months on each count. All the sentences are to run concurrently.
