The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday arrested two men for embezzling ₹14 crore from the Kerala State Lottery Agents and Sellers Welfare Fund Board. The accused are Sangeeth K, a native of Attingal, who worked as a Lower Division Clerk on deputation at the Welfare Fund Board between 2014 and 2020, and his friend Anil Kumar, a contractor from Vazhuthacaud.

According to Vigilance, Sangeeth misused cash books, office expense registers and cheque books, forged documents, altered cheque amounts and forged the signatures of his superiors to transfer funds from the Board's account to his own account and that of Anil Kumar.

Vigilance said the money allegedly siphoned off was used to purchase properties and run a real estate business. The agency is probing whether more persons were involved in the fraud and whether the accused continued the irregularities even after Sangeeth left the Board.

The arrests were made on the instructions of Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham, IPS. The Vigilance department has urged the public to report information related to corruption through its toll-free number 1064, phone number 8592900900, or WhatsApp number 9447789100.