Ranchi: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Jharkhand has taken major action in the high-profile JTDCL-Energy scam in the state. It has filed a charge sheet against three accused in a case involving embezzlement of over Rs 116 crore from the government exchequer.
The charge sheet has been filed against the alleged mastermind, Aradhya Sengupta alias Arnav Ganguly and two others – Sameer Kumar and Arun Kumar Pandey.
CID investigations have so far revealed misappropriation of more than Rs 9 crore by the three accused through fraudulent means. The CID probe has found that the accused adopted highly sophisticated methods to siphon off government funds, targeting entities such as the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation Limited (JTDCL) and the state energy utility.
According to investigators, the scam was executed using fake letterheads, forged signatures and fabricated official orders. The accused allegedly opened bank accounts with names similar to government accounts and diverted public funds into these fake accounts.
The CID further found irregularities in the name of fixed deposits. It has been revealed that quotations were obtained from banks and manipulated on paper to reflect higher interest rates to influence the selection process. Once a bank was finalised, the funds were transferred to fake accounts controlled by the accused instead of official government accounts.
The charge sheet has been filed in Case No 42/2024. Aradhya Sengupta has been in judicial custody since January 12 this year, while the other two accused — Sameer Kumar and Arun Kumar Pandey — are currently out on bail.
The agency noted that the roots of the scam run deep, with the role of several officials and intermediaries linked to the tourism department and banks also under suspicion.
CID officials said investigations into other aspects of the network are continuing, and more arrests cannot be ruled out.
(IANS)
