Odisha Vigilance arrests Forest Department clerk in ₹2.60 crore embezzlement case
Synopsis
Odisha Vigilance has arrested a Forest Department clerk who allegedly siphoned over ₹2.60 crore by forging salary bills in the names of retired and deceased employees — and had been on the run for six months before being caught in Balangir. It is the second Forest Department arrest in a week, raising questions about systemic financial oversight failures.
Key Takeaways
Babulu Suna , Senior Assistant-cum-In-Charge at Sunabeda Wildlife Division, Nuapada , was arrested by Odisha Vigilance on 25 October 2026 .
He allegedly embezzled ₹2,60,21,306 since 2023 through fraudulent bills under the MACP and RACP schemes.
Funds were diverted into bank accounts of his spouse, brother, sister , and two close associates using credentials of former, retired, and deceased employees.
He had been absconding for six months before being apprehended from Balangir on Saturday night.
Two cases ( 24/26 and 25/26 ) registered at Koraput Vigilance Police Station under the Prevention of Corruption Act and BNS.
A separate Forest Department clerk was arrested on 18 October in Dhenkanal for a ₹65,90,773 misappropriation, signalling a pattern of fraud.
Odisha Vigilance on Sunday, 25 October 2026, arrested a senior clerk of the State Forest Department for allegedly embezzling government funds totalling over ₹2.60 crore, in what officials described as a sustained fraud spanning more than two years. The accused, Babulu Suna, served as Senior Assistant-cum-In-Charge, Establishment Section, at the Office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Sunabeda Wildlife Division, Nuapada, Odisha.
How the Fraud Was Carried Out
According to Odisha Vigilance, Suna allegedly created fraudulent arrear bills under the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) and Revised Assured Career Progression (RACP) schemes since 2023. The vigilance agency stated that the bills were processed using the credentials and identities of former, retired, and deceased employees of the Sunabeda Wildlife Division to divert public funds into private bank accounts belonging to his family members — including his spouse, brother, sister — and two close associates.
Investigators further found that Suna allegedly manipulated official records to secure periodic salary increments beyond his legitimate entitlement, and generated excess monthly salary bills over a sustained period, wrongfully drawing more than ₹10.58 lakh. The total amount allegedly misappropriated was assessed at ₹2,60,21,306.
Arrest After Six Months on the Run
Suna had allegedly been absconding for the past six months, according to Odisha Vigilance. He was apprehended from his hideout in Balangir on Saturday night and is being produced before the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna.
Two cases — Case Nos. 24/26 and 25/26 — have been registered at the Koraput Vigilance Police Station against the accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Part of a Broader Crackdown on Forest Department Corruption
Notably, this is the second high-profile arrest within the Odisha Forest Department in less than a fortnight. On 18 October, Odisha Vigilance arrested a senior clerk of the Forest Department and two associates in Dhenkanal district on charges of misappropriating government funds amounting to ₹65,90,773 over a period spanning 2016 to 2026. The back-to-back arrests point to what investigators suggest may be systemic vulnerabilities in the department's internal financial controls, particularly in the processing of career-progression-linked salary bills.
What Happens Next
With Suna now in custody and two criminal cases formally registered, the focus shifts to whether vigilance investigators will pursue those who received funds in their bank accounts — the family members and associates named in the probe. The court proceedings at Bhawanipatna are expected to determine the remand and further course of the investigation. Broader departmental audits of MACP and RACP bill processing across other Forest Division offices in Odisha cannot be ruled out.
Point of View
Where a single clerk can apparently create, approve, and route fraudulent payments over years without triggering an internal audit flag. The use of deceased and retired employees' credentials is a textbook payroll fraud method, suggesting the department lacks even basic reconciliation between active employee rolls and disbursement records. Vigilance arrests are necessary, but they are reactive. The real accountability question is why the internal financial controls at the DFO level failed for over two years, and whether similar vulnerabilities exist across other Wildlife Division offices in the state.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Babulu Suna and why was he arrested?
Babulu Suna is a Senior Assistant-cum-In-Charge of the Establishment Section at the Office of the DFO, Sunabeda Wildlife Division, Nuapada. He was arrested by Odisha Vigilance on 25 October 2026 for allegedly embezzling over ₹2.60 crore in government funds through fake salary bills since 2023.
How did Babulu Suna allegedly carry out the fraud?
According to Odisha Vigilance, Suna created fraudulent arrear bills under the MACP and RACP schemes using the credentials and identities of former, retired, and deceased employees. The funds were transferred to private bank accounts of his family members and two close associates.
What charges have been filed against Suna?
Two cases — numbered 24/26 and 25/26 — have been registered at the Koraput Vigilance Police Station under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Suna is being produced before the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna.
Was this the only Forest Department corruption case in Odisha recently?
No. On 18 October, Odisha Vigilance arrested another Forest Department senior clerk and two associates in Dhenkanal district for allegedly misappropriating ₹65,90,773 between 2016 and 2026. The two cases together suggest a wider pattern of financial misconduct within the department.
How much in excess salary did Suna allegedly draw for himself?
In addition to the broader embezzlement, Suna allegedly manipulated official records to secure undue salary increments and generated excess monthly salary bills, wrongfully drawing more than ₹10.58 lakh for himself over a sustained period.
