Crime Branch Arrested Motilal Gouda

BHUBANESWAR: The crime branch on Sunday arrested Motilal Gouda, who was absconding after being accused of swindling public money and defrauding the state government by issuing fake gazette notification.

Crime Branch Special DG Bijay Kumar Sharma confirmed the arrest of Gouda, the assistant director of Factories and Boiler department.He has been suspended from the post of assistant director of Factory (Medical).

Sharma informed that he was arrested from Bijaynagaram of Andhra Pradesh after  a  four-day manhunt.

He said a four-member team of Economic Offence Wing (EOW) was constituted to arrest Gouda.

“We will produce him in court on Monday. We will also seek his remand for further interrogation,” said Sharma.

Notably, the vigilance sleuths on Saturday raided the house of Motilal Gouda.

The raids were conducted on the allegation of possession of disproportionate assets by Gouda.

First, he was sacked by the Health Department for irregularities. Then, he was appointed in the Factories and Boiler department without police verification.

Gouda allegedly issued a fake notification, while working in the Health Department as a medical officer, asking industries in the state to get the health check-ups of their staff done at five pathological laboratories empanelled by the government.

The opposition members accused that Gouda has proximity with some ruling BJD leaders including Law Minister Arun Sahu and BJD’s student wing president and MLA Byomakesh Ray.