An Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, who was on the run for over a decade, has been arrested by Orissa's anti-corruption vigilance wing for allegedly committing several financial irregularities.
Birendra Kumar Shukla, a former Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) at Jeypore, was arrested at Ranchi on August 9 following a non-bailable arrest warrant and brought to Jeypore in Koraput district on transit remand.
Shukla was produced in the court of the Special Judge, Vigilance at Jeypore on Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody till August 25, vigilance police said in a release here.
Vigilance police in Berhampur had registered a case against Shukla and some others in February, 1998 for allegedly preparing false muster rolls, false vouchers without executing bamboo silviculture clumps under Malkangiri forest range and misappropriating labour components amounting to Rs 1,05,154.
After completion of investigation, the vigilance had filed chargesheet against Shukla and others in 2003.
Shukla was suspended by the Government on charge of corruption but since 1999, he was absconding from the office and a non-bailable Warrant was issued against him by Special Judge, Vigilance, Jeypore for not appearing in the court.
Besides, Shukla was also chargesheeted in another case for allowing illegal felling of tree from the government land and transporting the same through forest contractors causing pecuniary loss of Rs 48,50,982 to Government, the release said, adding both the cases are currently under trial.
{{/usCountry}}Besides, Shukla was also chargesheeted in another case for allowing illegal felling of tree from the government land and transporting the same through forest contractors causing pecuniary loss of Rs 48,50,982 to Government, the release said, adding both the cases are currently under trial.
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