A regular audit at the Sepahijala District Superintendent of Police (SP) office has uncovered a massive financial scandal, exposing a network of corruption within the police department. The investigation revealed that a total of Rs. 29.04 lakh had been misappropriated by several individuals, including police personnel and staff.
The irregularities first came to light during a standard audit in January 2024, when suspicious financial transactions were detected. It was alleged that funds intended for the District Armed Reserve (DAR) police had been diverted to personal bank accounts rather than the designated official account. Initially, the ministerial staff, including John Debbarma and Suchitra Sinha, were suspected of being at the center of the scam.
Although the audit team initially attempted to downplay the matter, the growing scale of the fraud soon led to its exposure. Acting on instructions from District SP B.J. Reddy, a case was filed on February 7, 2024, under case number 01/2024 at the Bishramganj Police Station. Initially, the investigation was handed over to Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Panna Lal Sen, but following his transfer, the probe was reassigned to the newly appointed SDPO Dulal Datta.
The investigation revealed that John Debbarma, Suchitra Sinha, Khokan Dey, police constable Harinath Debbarma, and another suspect named Fanilal Debbarma were involved in the embezzlement. The group used fabricated police travel allowance (TA) bills to siphon off funds meant for the district’s police department.
On February 28, Bishramganj Police Station conducted a special operation to apprehend the suspects. Four individuals were arrested, with John Debbarma, the primary suspect, being captured shortly afterward. All five accused were presented in the Bishalgarh Sub-Divisional Court.
During a media briefing on Sunday, SDPO Dulal Datta confirmed the scale of the financial scam, stating that Rs. 29.04 lakh had been embezzled from the police department over the past several years. The accused had reportedly been diverting funds into their personal accounts since 2018.
