MALAPPURAM: A preliminary investigation by the deputy director (finance) of the Jalanidhi project has found that around Rs 6 crore was siphoned from the Jalanidhi’s regional project office in Malappuram by an accountant employed there over the past four years. Praveen Kumar, a contract employee, is still at large after the fraud came to light during a scrutiny by the regional project director earlier this month. The police arrested Deepa P.K, wife of Praveen in connection with fraud.
The preliminary probe report will be submitted to the executive director of Jalanidhi soon. Further departmental investigation by a five-member team led by the deputy director will be carried out from Monday. A fake office seal has also been found which was used by Praveen Kumar to forge documents of the money transactions along with some other documents. It was found that Kumar had added his private bank account number to the list of bank account details of various panchayats which were eligible to receive Jalanidhi fund from the Regional Project Office in Malappuram.
Fourty-one panchayats in Kozhikode, Palakkad,Thrissur and Malappuram districts fall under the purview of this regional office. “Kumar continued to forge the list to be submitted in three public sector banks since 2012 to date,” said K.V.M. Abdul Latheef, the regional project director. The auditors also could not detect the sham transactions during the annual audits for the past few years. Praveen Kumar absconded from November 3 after the regional project director lodged a complaint with the Malappuram police. Circle Inspector of Malappuram, Mr A. Premjith has been investigating the case. The police is clueless about the whereabouts of Praveen Kumar.
