The Odisha Vigilance apprehended six individuals, including the main suspect, in connection with a significant fraud case involving the alleged misappropriation of government funds amounting to Rs 8.04 crore over several years. The prime accused, Santosh Kumar Panda, a former Senior Assistant at the Sub-Treasury office in Chandbali, Bhadrak district, was arrested along with his accomplices for their purported involvement in the large-scale financial deception.
According to the vigilance department, Panda, the alleged mastermind, orchestrated a prolonged criminal conspiracy that led to the misappropriation of Rs 8,04,76,146 from the state exchequer between 2018 and 2023. The investigation revealed a sophisticated manipulation of the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), exploiting the digital workflow between clerks and authorizing officers. The accused reportedly diverted government funds to the bank accounts of his associates by creating fresh payment transactions in the IFMS after processing genuine bills for pensioners.
The accused misused his official login credentials to access the IFMS Portal and generate “Third-Party GPO (Govt. Pension Order) IDs” to divert funds to his associates instead of the rightful pensioners. The Sub-Treasury Officer allegedly approved these fraudulent bills without proper verification, leading to a total misappropriation of Rs 8,04,76,146 through 102 fraudulent bills between July 25, 2018, and May 4, 2023. The embezzled funds were channeled into 44 different bank accounts belonging to 37 private individuals associated with the prime accused.
