Odisha School Principal Held For Rs 55 lakh Fund Fraud

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance has unearthed a startling misuse of public funds by a school head, who allegedly splurged lakhs of rupees meant for student welfare on online gambling.

Soumya Ranjan Kheti, former principal of Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV), Binika in Subarnapur district, was arrested on Sunday for embezzling Rs 55.02 lakh from government allocations between 2021 and 2025. Investigators revealed that he admitted to spending about Rs 11 lakh of the siphoned amount on betting through the ‘Teenpatti’ app.

Vigilance officials said Kheti diverted funds from key schemes such as the Mid-Day Meal (MDM), Mo School Abhijan, and girls’ hostel contingency heads by abusing his official position. The revelation that a significant portion of the stolen money went into online gambling has added a sensational twist to the case.

A case has been registered under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Kheti is currently in custody and being interrogated to determine the full scale of diversion and identify possible accomplices.

Kheti was appointed principal of the Binika OAV on September 29, 2021. During his tenure, several welfare and educational schemes were routed through the school’s accounts, which Vigilance officials allege he systematically exploited for personal gain.