A major financial fraud has been unearthed at the Azamgarh District Jail, where ₹52.85 lakh was allegedly embezzled from a government account. Following an internal investigation, the Jail Superintendent, Aditya Kumar Singh, has been suspended for gross negligence, embezzlement of government funds, and dereliction of duty. The suspension was confirmed by Additional Inspector General (Prisons) Dharmendra Singh.
Forgery and Fake Cheques Used to Withdraw Funds
The probe revealed that several fake cheques were issued from the official account operated in the name of the jail superintendent. The fraudulent transactions were reportedly carried out in collusion with inmates and jail staff.
Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Shailendra Kumar Maitreya conducted an eight-hour inquiry at the Azamgarh jail on October 11, during which the entire embezzlement operation came to light.
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According to the DIG, the accused misused blank cheques from Canara Bank, forged the superintendent’s signature, and carried out multiple bank-to-bank transfers to avoid suspicion. “The full report has been sent to the state government, and strict departmental action will be taken against all officials and staff found guilty,” Maitreya said.
Four Accused Arrested and Sent to Jail
The police have arrested four individuals allegedly involved in the fraud —
Ramjeet Yadav, Shivshankar Yadav alias Gorakh, Senior Accounts Officer Mushir Ahmad, and Watchman Awadhesh Kumar Pandey.
Investigators discovered that inmate Ramjeet Yadav was working as an assistant to Senior Accounts Officer Mushir Ahmad in the prison’s accounts office. Together, they issued cheques using forged signatures of the superintendent and siphoned off government funds.
Funds Used for Personal Expenditure
The investigation found that Ramjeet Yadav, the main accused, spent ₹25 lakh from the embezzled money on his sister’s wedding and purchased a Bullet motorcycle worth ₹3.75 lakh.
Meanwhile, Mushir Ahmad allegedly misused around ₹7 lakh, while Awadhesh Pandey received ₹1.5 lakh from the fraudulent proceeds.
Departmental Action and Governance Review
Additional IG (Prisons) Dharmendra Singh stated that a detailed report has been submitted to the state government, and accountability of all responsible officers is being fixed.
He added that directives have been issued to tighten financial management and cheque issuance protocols across all prisons to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Conclusion
The Azamgarh jail embezzlement case has exposed serious lapses in financial oversight and administrative control within the prison system.
Beyond being a case of financial misconduct, it serves as a warning for government departments to strengthen internal audit systems, digital verification mechanisms, and multi-layer financial approvals to ensure transparency in public funds management.
