Bhubaneswar, Jun 17: A serious case of forgery has rocked Odisha’s administrative machinery after Capital Police arrested an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) for allegedly fabricating official recommendation letters bearing the signature of Assembly Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi to secure a transfer. Another engineer accused in the case remains absconding.

The arrested officer, Laxman Hembram (31), posted at Harichandanpur block in Keonjhar district, allegedly forged the Deputy Speaker’s letterhead, stamp, and signature to recommend his transfer to Sundargarh Sadar block. The Panchayati Raj department subsequently approved the transfer order on June 8.

Investigations revealed that another AEE, Monalisa Behera, used similar forged documents to obtain a transfer from Bansapal block in Keonjhar district to Baragaon block in Sundargarh district. While Hembram has been taken into custody, Behera is absconding, and police have launched efforts to trace her.

The forgery came to light after the Deputy Speaker’s personal secretary lodged a complaint with Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar, prompting the Commissionerate Police to form a six-member investigation team led by the Inspector-in-Charge of Capital Police Station. The probe established that the fake letters, dated January 16, had reached senior officials, including the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister and Secretary, resulting in official transfer orders.
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“This is a serious breach of trust and misuse of authority. Forging the Deputy Speaker’s signature is not only criminal but undermines the integrity of governance,” said ACP Ramesh Chandra Bisoi. Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi expressed shock and demanded strict departmental action against the accused officers.

The case has sparked debate over the vulnerability of bureaucratic processes to manipulation and highlighted the urgent need for stronger verification mechanisms in government procedures. As police continue their search for Behera, attention now turns to the disciplinary measures likely to follow within the Panchayati Raj department.