Purna/Representative:
Officials and employees of Purna Panchayat Samiti misused their positions to prepare fake documents and bills, embezzling government funds amounting to ₹1,83,77,844. On Tuesday (January 7), Group Development Officer Mayurkumar Andelwad filed a complaint leading to a fraud case against nine accused individuals.

Details of the Case

Group Development Officer Andelwad discovered fake bills while conducting government work at the Panchayat Samiti office. Upon investigation through bank officials, it was revealed that the payments had already been made, with account numbers in the bills linked to third-party individuals.

After identifying the severity of the issue, Andelwad reported the matter to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the District Council, who then informed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO ordered a legal inquiry, which revealed misappropriation of ₹1.84 crore between October 2021 and May 2023.

Accused Individuals

Based on the CEO’s orders, Andelwad filed complaints against the following individuals:

M.B. Bhise (Senior Assistant, Panchayat Samiti Purna)

S.K. Pathak (Assistant Accounts Officer, Panchayat Samiti Purna)

Smt. S.K. Wankhade (Former Group Development Officer, Panchayat Samiti Purna)

J.V. Modke (Former Group Development Officer, Panchayat Samiti Purna)

Arvind Namdeo Ahire

Sonaji Namdeo Bhosale

Nagesh Neelkanth Navkikar

Jayashree Tailoring

Sheikh Azhar Sheikh Samad

Legal Action

The accused have been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code:

Section 420: Cheating and dishonesty

Section 409: Criminal breach of trust

Section 467: Forgery of valuable security or document

Section 468: Forgery for the purpose of cheating

Section 471: Using a forged document as genuine

Section 34: Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention

The complaint alleges that the accused deliberately misused their positions to create fake documents and bills, fully aware of the government funds’ nature. They conspired to embezzle the amount systematically.

Investigation

Inspector Vilas Gobade is leading the further investigation into this case.