A significant case of alleged corruption and forgery has surfaced in Uttarakhand's Almora district, leading to the registration of a criminal case against four state government officials. The case revolves around fraudulent payments totalling Rs 1.1 lakh meant for development works in two villages that were never actually carried out.
Court Order Triggers Police Action
The legal proceedings were initiated following an order from the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Almora, who directed the local police to register a case. This judicial intervention came after the complainant, former village head (pradhan) Sudhir Kumar, approached the court following alleged inaction on his earlier complaints to higher authorities.
According to the complaint filed by Kumar, the fraudulent transactions took place during his tenure in 2018. The scam involved two separate payments: Rs 60,000 allocated for road construction in Teetakot village and Rs 50,000 for toilet construction in Shail village. Investigations allege that not a single brick was laid or any work completed for either project, despite the funds being withdrawn.
Modus Operandi of the Alleged Scam
The complaint details a brazen pattern of forgery and deception. In the case of Teetakot village, the Rs 60,000 was shown as paid under a CC road construction head. However, no work order was ever issued and no construction took place on the ground. The funds were allegedly withdrawn after a false completion certificate was issued by an assistant social welfare officer.
Furthermore, the purported completion of the non-existent work was entered into the gram panchayat asset register using forged signatures and the official seal of the then village head, Sudhir Kumar. A similar method was employed in Shail village, where Rs 50,000 was withdrawn for toilet construction by allegedly forging the signatures and seal of the then village head, Sher Ram, without a single toilet being built.
The Accused Officials and Legal Charges
The case has been registered against four officials:
- Kishan Ram Verma, the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Takula.
- Jeevan Chandra Joshi, Assistant Engineer of the Minor Irrigation Department, Udham Singh Nagar.
- S S Chaudia, the then Gram Panchayat Development Officer, now posted in Kapkot, Bageshwar.
- Ravindra Kohli, Assistant Social Welfare Officer.
They are facing serious charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including:
- IPC Section 420 (Cheating)
- IPC Section 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc.)
- IPC Section 468 (Forgery for the purpose of cheating)
- IPC Section 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record)
Police authorities have confirmed that an investigation is currently underway. All records related to the alleged payments and the supposed development works will be thoroughly examined to establish the chain of events and culpability.
Long Road to Justice
Complainant Sudhir Kumar stated that he had initially submitted written complaints to the Almora Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), the Kumaon Commissioner, and the Information Commissioner. He claims no concrete action was taken on these complaints, which ultimately compelled him to seek redressal through the judicial system by approaching the CJM court.
This case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the integrity of local development funds and the mechanisms meant to safeguard them. It raises questions about the checks and balances within the system for executing and certifying rural development works. The outcome of the police investigation will be closely watched, as it could have implications for accountability in the administration of village development schemes across the region.
