By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, October 11, 2017: Former member of Odisha Legislative Assembly from Deogarh Sanjeev Kumar Pradhan, has been sent to jail following rejection of his bail plea by Sambalpur Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court on Wednesday.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch had arrested Pradhan on Tuesday here for misappropriating more than Rs 27 lakh earmarked for compensation to the villagers displaced by the Rengali Multi Purpose Project, sources said.

A case in this regard was registered with EOW under sections 420, 406, 465, 467, 468, 471, I20-B of IPC on July 30, 2014 on the basis of complaint filed by Rama Chondra Gouda.

Madhusudan Garnayak and his brother Siba Prasad had engaged Pradhan as their advocate to file a case in the Civil Court for fair and reasonable value of their acquired land. However, Pradhan misappropriated a sum of Rs 27,01,848 by submitting fake and forged legal heir certificates in the name of Madhusudan and Siba.

In August 2013, the people of Deogarh held a 12- hour Bandh demanding an inquiry into the case. They had also levelled specific allegations against Pradhan following which the EOW had registered a case against him.

BJD president Naveen Patnaik had suspended him from the party on December 16, 2016.