Bhubaneswar, November 21: ​The Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested Suresh Chandra Sahu, the Secretary of the Kadopada Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) of Deogarh district, on charges of financial fraud and embezzlement of public funds amounting to Rs 40,71,644.

​Sahu was accused of systematically siphoning off the money by manipulating official accounting records, directly impacting the cooperative's financial health and the local farming community.

The key finding was the deliberate manipulation of the PACS Day Book, the primary book of original entry.

According to Vigilance communique, ​ Sahu failed to enter the details of loan amounts refunded by loanee farmers into the official records.

By receiving the cash repayment from the farmers but not recording the transaction in the Day Book, the amount became unaccounted for, allowing Sahu to misappropriate the entire sum to the tune of Rs 40,71,644.​

The case was registered under the anti-corruption laws at the Rourkela Vigilance Police Station. ​Following the formal arrest today, Sahu was being forwarded to the Court of Special Vigilance Judge, Sambalpur.