Brahmapur (Odisha): A peon appointed in Ganjam district education office (DEO) in Odisha went a bit too far to fulfill his liquor addiction so much so that he sold his office property, furniture and even files to buy his daily dose of booze.
M Pitambar was arrested on Saturday after a police probe revealed that over the last few years, he had sold several official documents and furniture to scrap dealers and used the money to buy liquor. His seniors did not notice his bizarre wrongdoings since they were working from a new building as the office had shifted. The old building was left in the custody of Pitambar who sold all the stuff to scrap dealers to satiate his addiction.
Interestingly, the building was located by the side of the Town Police station in Brahmapur city. Despite housing important government records and valuable furniture, no one from the district education department visited the building in the last few years.
The incident was highlighted after section officer Jayant Kumar Sahu, last Friday went to the office to check for some old files but was perplexed upon finding the building was totally vacant. Not only the files and furniture but some doors and windows too were missing. Later, Sahu filed a complaint at the Town Police station.
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Since Pitambar was the only person deployed to guard the building, police detained him for interrogation. The cops were surprised when he revealed that he had sold all the files, and furniture including more than 20 almirahs, 10 sets of chairs and tables, besides two doors to scrap dealers to buy liquor during the last two years as no one visited the closed office building.
Police registered a case and arrested Pitambar on Saturday and produced him in court on Sunday. Besides Pitambar, three scrap dealers were also arrested and produced in court in the case. DEO Binita Senapati said the department has suspended Pitambar from service and a departmental inquiry would be conducted into the matter.
"The DEO office, located at Town Police station in Berhampur city, had shifted. The old building was left in the custody of Pitambar. The accused allegedly sold off all properties of the office. A case has been registered in this connection and an inquiry has begun. Accused Pitamber and three others have been arrested, " said Brahmapur SDPO Rajib Lochan Panda.
