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The Railway Protection Force and the Crime Intelligence Branch have arrested the Chief Depot Material Superintendent of the Divisional Stores Depot in Dhanbad in connection with an alleged racket involving the theft and embezzlement of railway materials. The arrested official, identified as Ranjit Kumar, was taken into custody following an investigation that established his direct involvement in the illicit operation. He was produced before a court and sent to jail on Monday, marking a crucial step in the ongoing probe into internal supply diversion.
Investigators revealed that the operation was executed in an organized manner over an extended period. Surplus and obsolete railway hardware, primarily nuts and bolts, were systematically held back rather than being officially decommissioned and disposed of according to standard guidelines. Official depot paperwork was altered to show only minor quantities as disposed, leaving the bulk of the stock actively registered on inventory ledgers while it was illicitly funneled out.
Depot Security Breached After Work Hours
According to investigators, the accused bypassed multiple safety and handling protocols outlined in the official store manual. To avoid detection during daytime operations, railway materials were loaded onto commercial vehicles long after normal working hours had ended.
An illicit duplicate key was used to gain unauthorized entry into the premises after the complex was locked for the night. This allowed the group to discreetly move inventory outside without raising immediate red flags among routine monitoring staff, leaving the stock intact solely on balance sheets.
Five Accused Arrested as Syndicate Unravels
Prior to the arrest of the senior official, investigators had already taken four other individuals into custody in connection with the theft network. These included two Group D depot workers, identified as Nasruddin Ansari and Dilkhush Kumar, along with local scrap dealer Guddu Pillai and Nasruddin Ansari’s son, Salman Ansari.
With the arrest of the Chief Depot Material Superintendent, the total number of individuals arrested in the case has reached five. Investigating teams also seized an unauthorized duplicate key belonging to the purchase section as well as mobile devices used by the suspects to coordinate the movement of the goods.
Money Trail Links 70 Percent Share to Senior Official
Financial inquiries conducted by the Railway Protection Force revealed that approximately 70 percent of the total proceeds generated from the unauthorized scrap sales went directly to Ranjit Kumar. Authorities claimed to have uncovered solid documentary evidence of large cash deposits made into personal bank accounts held by the officer and his wife.
The seized digital devices and official records are being analyzed further to ascertain the total value of public property diverted during the tenure of the accused network.
