JANGAON: Three employees of the Jangaon district collectorate have been suspended for allegedly embezzling over Rs 37 lakh in public funds through bogus bills for materials that were never supplied and also destroying evidence of the crime.
A criminal case has been registered at the Jangaon Town police station and departmental disciplinary proceedings have been initiated under the CCA Rules. Police cases were also registered against the manager of a local bank and also a private trader, who were involved in the fraud.
The cases were registered under the provisions of the BNS and Information Technology Act based on a complaint lodged on Saturday night by District Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha, alleging large-scale misappropriation of government funds from the Collectorate Interest Funds Account maintained at at a private bank, Jangaon Branch.
It is alleged that the accused, in furtherance of their common intention and criminal conspiracy, fraudulently created four bogus handwritten cash bills in the names of VSR Enterprises, Mahbubabad, VS Art Printers, Hanamkonda and Rithvik Graphics, Hanamkonda, without supplying any goods or services.
The complaint also stated that the electronic evidence relating to the transactions was destroyed to screen the offenders from legal punishment. It further alleged involvement of A-1 Ch Srikanth, administrative officer, Collectorate, Jangaon (presently under suspension), A-2 K Yellaswamy, senior assistant, Collectorate,
Jangaon, A-3 Vijay, proprietor of VSR Enterprises, VS Art Printers, Hanamkonda and Rithvik Graphics, Hanamkonda, and A-4, the branch manager and concerned officials of the private bank, Jangaon branch, who allegedly facilitated the illegal transactions by violating banking procedures, thereby raising suspicion of criminal conspiracy, collusion and abetment.
Three firms, single proprietor
During the enquiry conducted by the Physical Verification-cum-Records Scrutiny Committee and the audit verification, it was found that no electrical items, furniture, computers or election materials mentioned in the bills were physically available. No stock registers, purchase files, quotations, tender records, supply orders, delivery challans, tax invoices or supporting documents were maintained.
The enquiry further disclosed that all the three firms were controlled by a single proprietor, thereby indicating a fraudulent and collusive arrangement, according to the complaint.
The complaint stated that the accused fabricated official records, antedated files, forged supporting documents and falsely projected government approval for release of funds.
The entire sum of Rs 37,85,050 was moved by a single batch of RTGS transfers between 15:46 and 18:06 hours on February 26, 2026.
Within about two-and-a-half hours, the account was drawn down from over Rs 1.07 crore to Rs 600.17, the residual Rs 23,26,280 being swept out at 18:06 hours, dishonestly transferred through RTGS from the collectorate account to the above firms, causing wrongful loss to the government and corresponding wrongful gain to the accused, it added.
The complaint further said that the acts of the accused prima facie disclose the commission of cognisable offences of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, falsification of accounts, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, misconduct by public servants and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
