A Special Vigilance Judge in Bargarh has sentenced former Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) Vishal Bariha to four years of rigorous imprisonment for bribery.
While serving as the PEO of Poorna Gram Panchayat, Bariha demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs 7,000 from a beneficiary to release the final installment of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) scheme.
Along with the four-year prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rs 20,000. Following the verdict, the convict was taken into custody and sent to jail.
As Bariha has already retired from government service, the vigilance department announced plans to approach the concerned authorities to halt his pension payments.