Raipur
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday filed chargesheets in two separate corruption cases. In one case, the EOW arrested a former Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) official for allegedly embezzling Rs 28.55 lakh, while in the other, the ACB prosecuted a Revenue Inspector accused of accepting a Rs 20,000 bribe.
In the first case, the EOW arrested former LIC Assistant Administrative Officer Amod Kumar Lakra and produced him before the Special Anti-Corruption Court in Surajpur along with a chargesheet on July 10.
According to the investigation, while posted at the LIC Satellite Office in Bishrampur, Surajpur district, Lakra allegedly misappropriated Rs 28,55,968 collected as insurance premiums from policyholders instead of depositing the amount into the corporation’s account. The case was registered following a complaint by Branch Manager Vinod Kumar Sony.
The EOW alleged that Lakra collected premium amounts on different dates but failed to deposit them into LIC’s account at the Central Bank of India, Satpata Branch. Instead, he allegedly siphoned off the money and submitted forged bank pay-in slips to the Bishrampur office to falsely show that the deposits had been made.
Following a preliminary inquiry that substantiated the allegations, the EOW registered a case under Sections 409, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).
In a separate case, the ACB’s Jagdalpur Unit filed a chargesheet against Revenue Inspector Santosh Kumar Toppo, posted at Durgukondal in Uttar Bastar Kanker district, for allegedly accepting a Rs 20,000 bribe.
According to the ACB, complainant Narsingh Uike, a resident of Mahendrapur village, alleged that the official demanded money to process and approve his land diversion application. After verification, the ACB caught Toppo red-handed while allegedly accepting the bribe.
The bureau registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) and Section 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The chargesheet was submitted before the Special Judge for Prevention of Corruption Act cases in Kanker on July 10.
Both cases will now proceed to trial before their respective Special Anti-Corruption Courts.
