Kakkanad: The Crime Branch has identified 10 more accounts to which a clerk working at the Ernakulam Collectorate who allegedly misappropriated funds meant for flood relief activities diverted the amount. The Crime Branch had earlier arrested Vishnuprasad, a clerk working at the Ernakulam Collectorate for allegedly siphoning off several lakhs of rupees from the disaster fund.
After the preliminary probe, the Crime Branch found that an amount of Rs 2.5 lakh was diverted to each of these accounts. They reached the conclusion after simultaneous inspections conducted at the camp office of the collector and the Collectorate. Earlier, during an inspection held at the collectorate, it was found that the money was diverted to two accounts.
Till now, police could find only evidence related to the misappropriation of funds for Rs 15.74 lakh.
The relief fund was sanctioned for 1000 people in the region who were affected by the August 2018 floods. The inspection at the collectorate had found that corrections were made in the account numbers of over 200 beneficiaries. However, a later scrutiny found that most of the corrections were genuine except for two cases. Later, it was established that corrections in two account numbers were deliberate with the purpose of diverting the amount.
However, more clarity on the issue can be had only after examining the master file, the treasury records and bank transactions of the accused.
Vishnuprasad, a section clerk with the disaster relief fund wing of the Collectorate and an NGO union member, was arrested on March 2. Another accused, Kollam native B Mahesh, is said to have surrendered before the police on March 4. The accused reportedly diverted Rs 10,54,000 from the Collectorate's relief fund account to Ayyanad cooperative bank and Rs 2,50,000 to the Kakkanad branch of the Dena Bank and withdrew the money.
CPM leader and the party's Thrikkakara East local committee member N N Nidhin, 33, and wife Shintu, 29, were also arrested last week in connection with the incidentr.
Suspended CPM Thrikkakkara (East) local committee member M M Anwar, another accused, is still absconding.
It was found that Anwar withdrew the money from the Ayyanad cooperative bank without submitting adequate proof.
With suspicions raised over the mysterious money transactions, the bank authorities informed Collector S Suhas. Based on the Collector's order, district finance officer G Harikumar led the investigation and the scam was unearthed. The district administration filed a complaint to the police. A case was filed and Crime Branch took over the probe.
