Vigilance Arrests Sambalpur Health Centre Official in ₹1.15 Crore Fake Billing Scam

Odisha Vigilance arrested Mir Imtiyaz Ali, a Junior Assistant, on Tuesday for allegedly misappropriating government funds to the tune of ₹1.15 crore.Ali, who served at the Community Health Centres (CHC) in Fasimal and Govindpur, is accused of orchestrating an elaborate fake billing scam targeting the entitlements of retired employees.A detailed investigation by the anti-corruption wing revealed a systematic channel of fraud spanning six financial years, from 2021–22 to 2026–27. During his tenure, Ali allegedly generated fraudulent online and offline bills under critical financial heads, including arrear salaries, unutilized leave encashment, and provisional pensions.Instead of routing these legitimate funds to the rightful retirees or the state treasury, Ali manipulated the disbursement channels to divert the money directly into his personal bank accounts.The vigilance probe uncovered that Ali siphoned off ₹70,57,450 while posted at CHC Fasimal under the Jamankira Block. Employing the exact same modus operandi, he embezzled an additional ₹44,57,089 while serving as the in-charge Junior Assistant at CHC Govindpur under the Bamra Block. In total, the accused drained ₹1,15,14,539 from state coffers.Following the investigation, the Odisha Vigilance registered two separate cases against him (Sambalpur Vigilance PS Case No. 14 & 15, dated September 8, 2026). He has been booked under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.Ali is scheduled to be forwarded to the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, in Sambalpur as further investigations into his financial dealings continue.