Udaigarh (Alirajpur district): The police here produced more than 5,000 pages of challan before Jobat court on Friday in connection with misuse of government money by eight block education officers (BEOs) who were posted here from 2011 to 2017. They embezzled Rs 16 crore through their bank accounts. This is the second major scam in state school education education department after appointment of seven dozen contractual teachers in Grade III in 2005-06. The case is already going on in court.
On July 16, 2020, Alirajpur district tribal welfare department assistant commissioner lodged a police complaint against school education department accountant Rituraj Singh Solanki under Sections 409 (breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (dishonestly uses as genuine any document), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offense) of Indian Penal Code.
When the case was registered, Solanki mentioned embezzlement of Rs 1,22,85,139 and financial irregularities of Rs 3,81,49,000. Following this, inspector PS Damor under direction of Alirajpur superintendent of police Vipul Shrivastava, additional superintendent of police Bittu Sehgal and sub-divisional officer (police) Dilipsingh Bilwal investigated the matter. During police investigation, it was found that Rs 16 crore were misappropriated.
Police investigation revealed that through net banking and cheques, Solanki transferred a huge sum from the government account to his State Bank of India Jobat branch account and Bank of Baroda Udaigarh branch account.
Apart from this, funds were transacted in accounts of department employees and certain unauthorised people. The evidence pointed at withdrawal and embezzlement of Rs 5,81,44,052 by Solanki. Rituraj who was arrested two months back is in jail. Seven more BEOs who posted here from 2011 to 2017 were made accused in the case
In the embezzlement of government amount of Rs 16 crore, the police made the then accountant Rituraj Solanki as the prime accused along with seven other block education officers, two accountants, assistants grade II, divisional convener, and employees posted as centre head along with the staff posted here from 2011 to 2017.
One of the BEOs has died while seven have been charged. Ransingh Dawar has died against whom documents showing embezzlement of Rs 47,13,165 have been found. The officer incharge of the treasury, Jobat has been named in the case. He misappropriated government money by presenting wrong bills for government material, scholarship, pension, death claim etc.
Investigation officer Damor said embezzlement of Rs 1,05,99,520 by then BEO Dungarsingh Solanki, Rs 2,51,40,510 by Bhola Prasad Patel, Rs 59,26,564 by Nawalsingh Rawat, Rs 40,48,786 by Paramanand Dhakad, Rs 36,79,627 by Madhulal Parmar, Rs 33,49,000 by Ramkishore Tomar, Rs 23,28,239 by Naveen Shrivastava, and Rs 23,67,6809 by Dr Suraj Singh have been revealed.
Besides eight BEOs, other employees including accountant, assistant grade II, and the center head who were posted here between 2011 and 2017 have also been made accused in the case. Centre head Hetram Rajput who siphoned off Rs 1,16,14,453 and Rs 5,11,816 withdrawn by the then-assistant grade II Establishment Branch incharge Mukesh Neema took compulsory retirement. Deputy treasury officer is also made accused
Narasingh Bhuria, officer incharge of sub treasury Jobat has also been made accused in the case on the basis of evidence. Bhuria misused his position. He along with BEOs made payments to vendors through illegally operated accounts.
