In a shocking case of government embezzlement, Hitesh Nirgude, an assistant grade 3 employee, and his brother-in-law, Antim Pipalde, were arrested in Khargone for allegedly embezzling Rs17 lakh of government money. The duo was apprehended by the Balakwada police and produced before a court, where they were sent to jail. A third individual, a government peon who was also involved in the scam, remains at large.
An inquiry revealed that Hitesh Nirgude had provided the bank account details of his brother-in-law, Antim Pipalde, to the treasury, causing the entire salary and arrears to be deposited into Pipalde’s account. Nirgude then transferred a portion of the funds to a peon’s account, which he himself was managing. From there, the money was subsequently transferred to Sumer Singh’s account, but Singh never received the full amount.
When Sumer Singh realized he had not received the full salary and arrears, he raised concerns and filed complaints through various forums. Following his complaints, the Block Education Officer lodged an FIR regarding the fraudulent activity. The investigation revealed that Nirgude and Pipalde had manipulated the system to steal funds meant for the teacher, which led to the arrest of the two suspects.
The police have been unable to apprehend the peon, who is believed to have played a crucial role in the embezzlement, and investigations are ongoing. The arrest of Hitesh Nirgude and Antim Pipalde highlights the potential for corruption within government systems, particularly when it comes to managing salary disbursements and financial transactions.