Umerkote: In a major financial fraud case, Umerkote police on Wednesday arrested one Sridhar Behera for allegedly embezzling ₹23 lakh from government funds meant for a Watershed project in Umerkote town, Nabarangpur district. Behera was subsequently sent to jail after a case was registered against him.
Behera, a former employee of the Watershed project department in Kalahandi district, is accused of deceiving a Watershed project group by impersonating as Junior Engineer (JE) of the department.
According to police sources, the embezzled funds had been lying dormant for years in a joint account held at the Union Bank branch in Umerkote. The account was jointly managed by the group’s president and secretary.
As per protocol, groups seeking to withdraw funds are required to pass a resolution, which is then submitted along with signatures of the president, secretary, and the designated departmental officer. Exploiting this system, Behera allegedly persuaded the group’s president and secretary to accompany him to the bank, where he posed as an authorized departmental officer and withdrew the funds.
The incident has triggered serious questions about both the conduct of Jharigaon Watershed project officials and the procedures followed by Union Bank. Locals are particularly concerned about how a non-official was able to access such a large sum without proper verification, especially given the strict protocols banks usually follow for ordinary customers.
On Wednesday, Umerkote police summoned officials from the bank as well as the Jharigaon Watershed project to the police station for questioning. Umerkote IIC Ramakant Sahu confirmed that a deeper investigation is underway to determine if more individuals were complicit in the fraud.
