The Hazaribag treasury scam investigation intensifies as more arrests are made and the total embezzlement amount escalates to Rs 28 crore, revealing a complex web of financial irregularities and illicit asset accumulation.
Key Points
- Two more individuals have been arrested in connection with the Hazaribag SP Office treasury scam, bringing the total arrests to five.
- The amount embezzled in the Hazaribag treasury scam has risen to Rs 28 crore following further investigation.
- Authorities are investigating the source and destination of the embezzled funds, including properties in Hazaribag and Gaya.
- Temporary pay IDs were used to illegally withdraw government funds, which were then transferred to various suspect bank accounts.
- The Hazaribag Superintendent of Police has assured that those responsible for the scam will face strict action.
Two more persons were arrested in the Hazaribag Superintendent of Police (SP) Office treasury scam, taking the total number of arrests to five, and the embezzlement amount has also increased to Rs 28 crore, an official said.
Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner Shashi Prakash Singh told reporters on Friday that besides three police constables arrested on Thursday, identified as Shambhu Singh, Rajnish Singh and Dhirendra Singh, two more persons were arrested, namely Kajal Kumari wife of Shambhu Singh and Khusboo Kumari, wife of Rajnish.
All five have been remanded to judicial custody, the official said.
"The scam amount rose to Rs 28 crore after continuous investigation from Rs 15.41 crore," the official added.
The deputy commissioner said that teams have been sent from Hazaribag and Barhi to Gaya in Bihar to investigate the matter.
Investigation Details and Asset Recovery
"During investigation, it was learnt that Shumbhu Kumar, who hailed from Gaya, owned crores of rupees. He has two buildings worth Rs 8 crore in Hazaribag and Gaya, which include a four-storied building in Gaya. During the investigation, it was found that the amount was invested mostly in immovable properties," the deputy commissioner said.
The team investigating the matter includes Treasury Officer Ujjwal Chaurasia, Additional Collector Santosh Kumar Singh, Land Reform Deputy Commissioner (LRDC) Rajkishore Prasad, District Transport Officer Baijnath Kamti, Nazarat Deputy Collector (NDC) Pradip Kumar and Bank of India's Lead District Manager (LDM) for Hazaribag district.
Hazaribag Superintendent of Police Anjani Anjan told reporters that those responsible for this scam will not be spared and strict action will be taken against them.
"The investigation is still continuing, and we expect to come out with more details after the completion of the probe," the SP added.
Initial Arrests and Modus Operandi
On Thursday, three treasury employees-Shambhu Kumar, Rajnish Singh, and Dhirendra Singh-had been arrested for allegedly embezzling Rs 15,41,41,485 from two bank accounts of the Hazaribagh district treasury over the past eight years.
Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner had on Thursday said that the arrests came after the State Finance Department identified suspicious transactions through data analysis. During initial questioning, the accused reportedly admitted their involvement in the financial irregularities.
"It was found that temporary pay IDs were used to illegally withdraw government funds, which were then transferred to various suspect bank accounts. Following the probe, 21 suspicious accounts were frozen, securing Rs 1.6 crore in the process. A formal FIR has been registered at Lohsingna police station by the district treasury officer," the release added.
All the three are employed in the accounts branch of the police department posted at Hazaribag.
