SHIMLA — Police in Himachal Pradesh have registered a second First Information Report against former Shimla Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi over the suspected misappropriation of ₹14.07 lakh allocated for the maintenance of police buildings and residential quarters. The case was formally registered at the Shimla police station on October 22 under Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following an internal audit conducted by a committee constituted by the Himachal Pradesh Police Headquarters. Investigators are reviewing financial transactions from a broader corpus of approximately ₹1.28 crore sanctioned for repair works between the financial years 2022-23 and 2024-25. The audit revealed that substantial public funds were spent on Gandhi’s official residence, named Southwood, without the required prior approvals or distinct budgetary sanctions from competent authorities.
Audit Uncovers Fund Diversion from Field Establishments
The audit findings established that funds originally earmarked for distinct operational facilities across the district were diverted to renovate the senior officer’s official residence in Shimla. Financial records show that ₹2.80 lakh sanctioned for the repair of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer’s residence in Rampur and ₹2.50 lakh designated for maintenance of a police barrier kiosk at Shoghi were diverted and booked as expenditure on the Southwood residence.
Auditors further discovered unauthorized expenditures of ₹1.62 lakh during the financial year 2023-24 and ₹7.22 lakh in the financial year 2024-25 against the same property. In both instances, supporting documentation establishing formal administrative approvals was missing from department records. Scrutiny has extended to the financial year 2025-26, where ₹28.67 lakh was allocated for departmental maintenance. Although 22 repair tasks were listed as completed under this allocation, the audit committee concluded that 13 of those projects fell completely outside the scope of the original approved administrative plan.
Prolonged Occupation of Official Residence Draws Scrutiny
In addition to financial discrepancies, police authorities noted that Gandhi continued to occupy the official residence reserved for the serving Shimla district police chief. Gandhi was transferred out of the post on February 7, 2026, ending a tenure that began on January 23, 2023. Official reports indicate that he had not vacated the designated government bungalow even after an eight-month period following his reassignment.
Departmental investigators are examining the administrative circumstances surrounding the prolonged overstay. Police officials clarified that while the First Information Report formally marks the commencement of criminal proceedings, registration alone does not establish guilt, and full statutory action remains contingent on the forensic verification of seized records and witness statements.
Second Criminal Case Registered Against Officer Within Days
The latest complaint follows an earlier First Information Report registered against Gandhi on Thursday, which contained allegations of cheating, forgery, and the misappropriation of government funds during his three-year tenure as the district police chief. The twin criminal cases have placed Gandhi’s administrative and financial decisions under intensive department-wide examination.
Gandhi currently serves as the managing director of the Himachal Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation, headquartered in Kangra. Investigators have initiated a detailed verification of all budgetary approvals, work sanction orders, and contractor payment records across police infrastructure projects to determine the full scope of financial irregularities before initiating further legal proceedings.
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