BENGALURU: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday said two railway employees had allegedly forged documents to claim bills for 59 employees, causing loss to the tune of Rs 42.24 lakh to South Western Railways.
According to CBI, the crime was committed between 2013 and 2016. The accused are Govindaraju, then junior clerk, office of the senior divisional personnel officer, South Western Railways, Bengaluru division; and Basavaraju, then peon working in the office of the traffic inspector, Dharmapuri. Basavaraju was working as a goods guard on temporary basis under chief yard master, SGT, Whitefield.
A source said, “Govindaraju and Basavraju fabricated bills towards educational allowances, tuition fees and hostel subsidy in the names of 59 employees working in Bengaluru-Salem section under the Bengaluru division of South Western Railways and misappropriated railways funds to the tune of Rs 42.24 lakh.” The duped employees were from Hosur, Dharampuri and Salem districts.
CBI found that some of the educational institutions in whose names the bills were fabricated were non-existent. In other cases, the students never studied in the institutions mentioned in the receipts. The accused had sanctioned and disbursed the claim amount in the accounts of these 59 employees. The accused then approached the employees saying that the money had been erroneously put into their accounts, and asked them to return the money.
The Anti Corruption Bureau, CBI, has filed a case against the accused under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. Railways officials declined to comment. SP of ACB, CBI, Roopa M said a case has been registered and they are yet to make any arrests.