Crores Siphoned in Jharkhand Treasuries: ED Takes Over Probe

Jharkhand’s financial underbelly has been exposed in a shocking scam involving fake salary draws from state treasuries amounting to crores. The Enforcement Directorate’s entry via an ECIR marks a new phase, targeting money laundering amid ongoing state-level inquiries by CID and SIT.

The plot unraveled when AG Chandramouli Singh’s audit uncovered discrepancies in police salary disbursals from Bokaro and Hazaribagh treasuries. This snowballed into a statewide probe, with a committee under Amitabh Kaushal digging into records. Another report warned of issues in 12 treasuries, implicating health and education payrolls.

Arrests underscore the operation’s scale: Ranchi’s accountant Munindra Kumar claimed a Rs 20 lakh basic pay phantom salary; Hazaribagh rounded up six suspects; Bokaro jailed three; Deoghar nabbed Sabita Kumari. Twelve in custody so far, with whispers of DSP-level complicity.

Fraudsters’ modus operandi involved bogus withdrawals followed by partial refunds to mask theft. Finance department ordered district-level audits, but ED’s expertise will now chase the slush funds, map beneficiaries, and unravel the syndicate.

This federal probe could topple influential figures, reinforcing checks on public spending. Jharkhand’s administration faces pressure to clean house as the nation watches how deeply corruption has penetrated its fiscal core.