Odisha Vigilance arrests former secretary for ₹21 lakh fraud

Odisha Vigilance has arrested Sarat Kumar Nayak, the former Secretary of the Anandpur Service Co-operative Society (SCS), also known as PACS Banki, in the Kataka district. Nayak is accused of misappropriating ₹21,28,058 from the society's funds.

An investigation revealed that Nayak collected loan repayments directly from various borrower members. While he recorded the correct amounts in the daily transaction ledger, he systematically manipulated official accounting registers by under-calculating the totals. This allowed him to siphon off the remaining balance for personal gain, causing financial losses to both the society and the government exchequer.

A case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, as well as sections of the Indian Penal Code related to criminal breach of trust and forgery. Following his arrest, Nayak was produced before the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, in Kataka, and the investigation is ongoing.