(Updated on March 2)
Agartala: A routine audit has unravelled a deep-rooted financial scandal inside the Sepahijala District Superintendent of Police office, exposing a network of corruption involving police personnel and staff. With Rs. 29.04 lakh allegedly misappropriated, five accused, including a police constable, are now behind bars.
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The irregularities first came to light during a regular audit in January this year, when suspicious transactions were detected. It was alleged that funds meant for the District Armed Reserve (DAR) police were diverted into personal bank accounts instead of the designated official account. Initially, fingers were pointed at ministerial staff John Debbarma and Suchitra Sinha, who were believed to be at the centre of the scam.
According to sources, the audit team had initially attempted to suppress the matter, but as the scale of the fraud became apparent, the issue could no longer be contained. Acting on the directives of District SP B.J. Reddy, a case was registered at Bishramganj Police Station on February 7, bearing case number 01/2024. The investigation was first handed over to Bishalgarh Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Panna Lal Sen, but following his transfer, the probe was assigned to the newly appointed SDPO Dulal Datta.
During the investigation, John Debbarma, Suchitra Sinha, Khokan Dey, police constable Harinath Debbarma, and another person named Fanilal Debbarma were identified as key suspects in the embezzlement. The scam was reportedly executed by fabricating police travel allowance (TA) bills to siphon off funds.
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It was learned that on February 28, Bishramganj Police Station conducted a special operation, arresting four suspects. The prime accused, John Debbarma, was later apprehended. All five accused were produced before the Bishalgarh Sub-Divisional Court on Saturday.
Following the arrest of five individuals on Saturday, Bishalgarh Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Dulal Datta addressed the media on Sunday, revealing details about the financial scam at the Sepahijala District SP office. He confirmed that Rs. 29.04 lakh was embezzled from the police department over several years, and the accused have been transferring money into their accounts since 2018.
“We checked their accounts and found the embezzled funds. After verifying all reports and evidence, we arrested five persons, produced them before the court, and the court sent them to three days of police remand,” SDPO Datta said.
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He further stated that Rs. 29,04,142 was misappropriated, which included funds from TA bills, salaries, and festival advances. The accused have claimed that they spent the entire amount, making recovery difficult. Meanwhile, the four accused government officials have been suspended from service, and the investigation is ongoing.