Ranchi, March 31: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action in a case involving alleged embezzlement of government funds by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department (DWSD) in Ranchi. A prosecution complaint has been filed before a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The complaint targets Santosh Kumar, his wife Lalita Sinha, and their shell company, Rockdrill Constructions (OPC) Private Limited. The ED has also sought the seizure of assets worth approximately ₹6.26 crore in this case.
The investigation was initiated based on an FIR filed by the Jharkhand police, followed by a chargesheet. It revealed that Santosh Kumar, who held the position of cashier-cum-senior clerk, misused his official capacity to embezzle around ₹22.86 crore from the government treasury.
According to the agency, the initial police investigation underestimated the embezzled amount. However, the ED’s detailed inquiry uncovered the true scale of the fraud. It is alleged that Kumar manipulated fake payee IDs and inactive DDO codes to transfer government funds to other accounts.
The investigation also found that the embezzled funds were laundered through various high-value assets and investments. This included the purchase of 6.81 decimals of land in the Ratu area of Ranchi, registered under his sister Mamta Sinha’s name. Additionally, a Toyota Innova Crysta car was booked in his wife’s name.
The ED reported that the accused purchased jewelry worth over ₹1.78 crore, invested in more than 25 mutual fund schemes, and made several fixed deposits.
During the raids, the ED conducted searches at 26 locations, recovering ₹55.08 lakh in unaccounted cash. Important documents, ledgers, and other evidence related to the alleged corruption within the department were also seized. Previously, the ED had provisionally attached assets worth approximately ₹2.18 crore, confirmed by the adjudicating authority under the PMLA.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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