Retd panchayat secy gets two-and-a-half years’ jail for misappropriation

Rourkela: A retired panchayat secretary has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years of rigorous imprisonment by special judge, Vigilance, Sundargarh, on Friday for misappropriating cash and rice worth Rs 42,777, 22 years ago. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Alexander Ekka (66), the former panchayat secretary of Jodakudar gram panchayat under Lathikata block in Sundargarh district, failing which he will have to undergo an additional four months of rigorous imprisonment.The court also directed that the period already undergone by the convict as an undertrial be set off under Section 428 of the CrPC. He, however, was released on bail as his sentence was below four years.A case against Ekka, who currently resides at Buchahanda village under Brahmanitarang police limits, was lodged at Sambalpur Vigilance police station on May 21, 2004.According to the Vigilance, during a surprise physical verification on March 2, 2004, misappropriation of govt property worth Rs 42,777.40 was detected, which Ekka failed to account for.