In a significant crackdown on corruption in grassroots agricultural institutions, Odisha Vigilance has arrested Suresh Chandra Sahu, Secretary of the Kadopada Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) in Deogarh district.
Sahu has been accused of orchestrating a large-scale financial fraud amounting to Rs 40,71,644, money intended to support local farmers. Investigators allege that he manipulated official records to siphon off funds, betraying the trust placed in him by both the cooperative and the farming community.
According to Vigilance officials, Sahu systematically diverted public money by accepting cash repayments from loanee farmers but deliberately excluding these entries from the PACS Day Book—the primary ledger for original financial records. By omitting the repayments, he allegedly made the amounts appear unaccounted for, enabling him to misappropriate the funds.
This fraud not only weakened the financial health of the cooperative but also directly harmed farmers who had responsibly repaid their loans, only to find their payments concealed for personal gain.
The Rourkela Vigilance Police Station registered the case under relevant anti-corruption laws (Case No. 12/2025). Following his arrest, Suresh Chandra Sahu has been produced before the Hon’ble Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Sambalpur, marking a crucial step toward legal action.
A comprehensive report from the Vigilance Directorate is expected soon and may shed further light on the scope and mechanisms of the embezzlement.
