Education Department Employees Defraud Rs 1.13 Crore in Madhya Pradesh, Legal Action Initiated

The accused employees diverted arrears into the accounts of their family members. The irregularity remained hidden as the actual beneficiaries received salary payments in their accounts, and no discrepancies were detected.

Guna- A scam has been uncovered in the education department, where three employees collectively embezzled Rs 1.13 crore. An FIR has been registered in connection with the misappropriation of funds in the Education Department in the Chanchauda block of Guna district. The department employees diverted arrears into the accounts of their family members.

Last week, the Collector expressed dissatisfaction with the failure to file an FIR during a review meeting. Following the Collector's strict directives, an FIR was finally lodged against two accountants and a peon of the Education Department on Saturday.

This incident came to light in August last year when financial irregularities were discovered in the Chanchoda BEO office. Three employees had funneled over Rs 1.13 crore into the accounts of their relatives, funds that belonged to regular and guest teachers.

According to the information, this malpractice occurred between 2018 and 2022. According to experts currently, treasury codes for all teachers are generated, and salaries are directly deposited into their accounts online. However, two years ago, salaries were paid through vendors, and offline transactions were also made. The irregularity remained hidden as the employees received salary payments in their accounts, and no discrepancies were detected.

It is the responsibility of the accountant to verify and ensure the correctness of accounts. In this case, suspicions arise that the accountant manipulated the teachers' accounts, substituting them with the account numbers of relatives. Consequently, the outstanding payments began funneling into the accounts of the accused employees' relatives without the rightful recipients being aware, all while their salaries kept seamlessly flowing into the designated accounts.

Legal action has been initiated against the three implicated education department employees. The matter was highlighted during a crucial deadline meeting with the Collector, prompting swift measures and a cautionary notice to the District Education Officer. Subsequently, the Block Education Officer filed a formal complaint with the police station, resulting in the registration of an FIR against Swati Jain, Mukut Bihari Prajapati and Narayan Lal Ghosi. They now face charges under sections related to fraud.