A major financial scam has rocked the Sepahijala District Police Department after it was discovered that Rs29.04 lakh had been siphoned off through fraudulent transactions.
The irregularities first surfaced during a routine audit in January this year, when suspicious financial activity came to light. Funds meant for the District Armed Reserve (DAR) police were allegedly redirected into personal bank accounts instead of the official government account.
Initially, ministerial staff members John Debbarma and Suchitra Sinha were suspected to be central figures in the fraud. Further investigation revealed the involvement of three others—Khokan Dey, police constable Harinath Debbarma, and Fanilal Debbarma.
Sources revealed that the audit team initially attempted to suppress the findings. However, as the scope of the scam widened, it was escalated to senior authorities. Acting under the directive of District Superintendent of Police (SP) B.J. Reddy, a case (No. 01/2024) was registered at Bishramganj Police Station on February 7.
Initially assigned to SDPO Panna Lal Sen, the probe was later transferred to newly appointed SDPO Dulal Datta after Sen’s transfer.
Investigators found that the group manipulated travel allowance (TA) bills and other police-related financial documentation to divert funds. Following a special operation on February 28, Bishramganj Police apprehended four of the suspects. The alleged kingpin, John Debbarma, was later arrested and joined the others in custody.
On Saturday, all five accused were presented before the Bishalgarh Sub-Divisional Court. The court remanded them to three days in police custody.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, SDPO Dulal Datta confirmed that the total amount misappropriated was Rs29,04,142. The embezzled money spanned several years and included TA claims, salary components, and festival advances.
“We verified all the records and found the money was credited to their accounts. Unfortunately, they claim to have spent it all, complicating any chances of recovery,” Datta stated.
The four government officials involved have been suspended from their duties, and the investigation is ongoing.
