A government employee, Pulakendu Ghosh, working as an Upper Division Assistant in the Deputy Commissioner’s office of Kolkata Police, has been apprehended for allegedly misappropriating over Rs 51 lakh through fake bills over a four-year period. Ghosh is accused of diverting funds meant for legitimate payments to personal bank accounts, totaling 112 fake bills between 2022 and 2026.
Kolkata Police revealed that Ghosh used counterfeit bills to transfer the embezzled amount to his and his mother’s accounts instead of the official government account. Following a preliminary inquiry, a complaint was lodged by Lalbazar (Kolkata Police headquarters) with Anandapur Police Station, leading to Ghosh’s arrest.
An investigation was initiated after a complaint was lodged at Lalbazar following a change in government. The Joint Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) ordered a probe, resulting in the discovery of the financial irregularities. Ghosh allegedly prepared 112 fake bills, funneling more than Rs 40 lakh to his account and over Rs 10 lakh to his mother’s account.
Police stated that Ghosh, responsible for processing bills for contractors and suppliers, exploited his position to fabricate bills amounting to Rs 51 lakh over four years. The investigation uncovered further fraudulent activities, including the deletion of original contractors’ details from the HRMS system and the substitution of their information with his and his mother’s accounts.
Several counterfeit bills were seized during the investigation, and inquiries with contracting companies confirmed that payments were redirected to Ghosh and his mother’s accounts. Colleagues reportedly seldom questioned Ghosh due to his seniority. He confessed to the crime during interrogation.
