KRFB engineer swindles ₹4.85-cr meant for land acquisition & utility shifting in TVM, dismissed from service

The state government has dismissed an Executive Engineer with the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB); P T Jeeja Bhai for swindling ₹4.85 crore meant for land acquisition, utility shifting and office expenses. She is facing a criminal case of fraud registered at Museum police station and parallel inquiries by the Finance inspection wing, office of the Accountant General and the Home department. PWD officials said that she has been absconding for the past few months. 

In March 2025, the Public Works Department (PWD) ordered a departmental probe against a former Executive Engineer (EE) and a temporary staff with the Kerala Road Fund Board, Thiruvananthapuram, on charges of financial fraud to the tune of ₹4.85 crore. The official inquiry was ordered as part of initiating stringent disciplinary action against former Jeeja Bhai and temporary employee Susmi Prabha U P after the PWD Internal Vigilance unearthed serious financial irregularities in the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the KRFB, Thiruvananthapuram.

Jeeja Bhai was placed under suspension in February 2024 following a report by the Project Director, KRFB, which cited grave misuse of the chequebook and cheque memo register and abuse of official power to commit financial fraud. Later, PWD Internal vigilance inspected the KRFB-PMU, Thiruvananthapuram division and reported serious lapses, including financial irregularities. It was reported that there were mismatches between entries in bank statements and the cash book.

The probe revealed that Jeeja Bhai, who was responsible for transferring ₹75.72 lakhs to the KSEB to shift utilities for a road work withdrew this amount between December 2023 and January 2024 but never paid the sum to the KSEB. She also withdrew an amount of ₹34.22 lakh between July 2023 and January 2024 meant for another road work. An official inquiry by the PWD Chief Engineer (Roads), Ajith Ramachandran, revealed that she withdrew an amount of ₹4.85 crore in the name of Susmi Prabha between May 2021 and January 2024. Her service history also showed another instance of fraud. In 2019, she was placed under suspension for defrauding ₹2.85 lakhs while supervising the renovation of a toilet at Kazhakootam Women's ITI. 

She didn't turn up for hearing, although she was given notice twice. As per the latest order issued by the PWD Secretary, the government has decided to collect an interest at the rate of 9% and annual interest of 18% as part of initiating revenue recovery procedure against her. The government noted in the order that an official with a history of such grave financial misconduct cannot be allowed to continue in the service and it goes against the public interest and threatens the financial security of the state.

The vigilance report had cited that the loss to the government due to the fraud should be recovered from the accused, and a department-level action shall be initiated against Jeeja Bhai. The cash cheques were withdrawn in 2021 (₹7.23 lakh), in 2022 (₹1.53 crore), in 2023 (₹2.87 crore) and in 2024 (₹37 lakh).