The Chandipur police on Monday arrested and court-forwarded a Home Guard on the charge of embezzling public money to the tune of ` 5.82 lakh.
The accused, identified as Subrat Kumar Pradhan of Keonjhar district’s Khunabeda committed the offence when he was engaged in official paper works relating to duties of Home Gurards in the Chandipur defence base, ITR.
He had fraudulently been recording absentee Home Guards as present and drawing salaries against them.
In June, a Security Officer of the ITR doubted Subrat seeing attendance and duty deployment registers and salary sheets tempered.
The office also found that some amount fraudulently drawn in four months, February to May.
When the matter came to his notice, the Baleswar SP asked Home Guard Assistant Commandant Pramod Sahani to look into the matter.
As he sensed something fishy, Sahani handed over to the Chandipur police.
Chandipur PS IIC Rajendra Das, during investigation, too found misdeeds committed by Pradhan.
“Around 210 Home Guards, hailing from nearby districts, are guarding the ITR. Subrat Pradhan had come from Keonjhar.
Since he was educated he was engaged in official paper works. But he manipulated duties of some Home Guards and drawn the salaries,” said the IIC.
Das said the ITR bears the salary cost towards deployment of Home Guards and, during investigation; it was found that about ` 5.82 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn between February and May.
Pradhan’s mischief came to the light when ITR officials found the attendance register and salary sheets tempered, he said.
Salaries are credited to individual bank accounts of the Home Guards through online bank transfer.
There could be connivance between the accused and some Home Guards.
Further investigation is under progress and there could be more arrest, Das said.