BERHAMPUR: On the run for two years, a woman who allegedly swindled government money to the tune of over Rs 26 lakh, was nabbed by Golanthara police on Monday.
The accused Yara Hemalata (37) had misappropriated the funds when she was engaged as the master bookkeeper of Girisola gram panchayat legal federation (GPLF) under the Odisha livelihood mission (OLM) of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department.
In April 2023, police had registered a case against Hemalata on the basis of a complaint received from the block development officer (BDO) of Chikiti who alleged that the woman misappropriated Rs 26,66,000 from different bank accounts of Girisola GPLF.
She deposited cheques in the Union Bank of Sompeta branch in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. The money was later credited to different accounts through direct transfer/NEFT mode.
Investigation revealed that Hemalata was managing the GPLF accounts and even kept the cheques. She cunningly collected the signatures of authorised signatories in advance on the pretext of withdrawing cash through the cheques in cases of emergency.
But she misappropriated the funds. When the members of Girisola GPLF including its president and secretary came to know about the fraud, they informed the BDO and subsequently, the complaint was lodged. However, Hemalata absconded.
Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said on Monday, police received information about presence of Hemalata in Srikakulam district. A police team reached the the accused’s hideout and apprehended her. Hemalata’s relative Sivalanki Mutyala Rao (38), in whose house she was hiding, was also arrested.
During interrogation, the accused woman confessed to her crime and revealed that she had spent the money and also purchased a car and a motorcycle with it. The SP said the motorcycle was seized and search is on to trace the car. The bank accounts to which the misappropriated money was transferred are also under verification. Hemalata and Mutyala were produced in court and further investigation is underway, he added.