The Himachal Pradesh Police has registered a first information report against Deputy Inspector General of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi for alleged cheating, forgery, and misappropriation of government funds during his tenure as Senior Superintendent of Police in Shimla. The case centers on accusations of unpaid official reimbursements totaling ₹1.87 lakh claimed by a constable, alongside findings from a financial audit pointing to the suspected unauthorized withdrawal of around ₹2.35 lakh from district police accounts. Gandhi, who currently serves as Managing Director of the Himachal Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation in Kangra, has rejected the charges, characterizing the case as a motivated campaign driven by personal and professional vendetta.
Constable Alleges Unpaid Dues and Forged Vouchers
The formal case was lodged at Sadar police station in Shimla following a written complaint submitted by Constable Jagdish Kumar, who was posted at Police Lines in Kaithu. According to Kumar, he was tasked with managing logistics and arrangements for departmental events between 2024 and 2025. He stated that he was instructed to pay for operational expenses using his personal funds under departmental assurances of subsequent reimbursement. Although he submitted verified bills amounting to ₹1,87,890 that were formally cleared for payment, the money was never transferred to his bank account.
Kumar further alleged that on February 6, 2026, just a day prior to Gandhi being transferred from the post of Shimla SSP, the officer summoned him to his office and obtained his signatures on payment-related vouchers under the pretext of finalizing the settlement. The irregularity surfaced in July 2026 when Kumar checked the status with the accounts branch, only to be informed that the sum had been drawn from the designated fund but had never been remitted to him. The FIR against Gandhi invokes Sections 316(5), 314, 318, 336, and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering offenses related to cheating, forgery, and financial misappropriation.
Audit Uncovers ₹2.35 Lakh Irregular Withdrawals
Following the complaint, departmental scrutiny into financial records indicated wider fiscal irregularities within the district establishment. Preliminary examinations showed that roughly ₹2.35 lakh had been withdrawn from the district police fund in an irregular manner across a two-year timeframe. Audit officials were unable to locate accounting records, documentation, or receipts showing how the withdrawn cash had been spent, raising substantial questions over the documentation and custody of official funds.
The complaint additionally stated that when Gandhi relinquished his post as Shimla SSP, the funds originally sanctioned to clear the constable’s reimbursement were returned to the district police account. Investigators are currently cross-referencing ledger entries, vouchers, and transaction records to trace the movement and end-use of the missing money. A senior police officer confirmed that relevant documentary evidence had been secured during the initial inquiry, noting that Gandhi has not yet been summoned for questioning and that formal statements from all concerned individuals will be recorded in due course.
IPS Officer Denounces Case as Deliberate Targeting
Gandhi, a 2012-batch Indian Police Service officer who headed the Shimla district police from January 23, 2023, to February 7, 2026, strongly disputed the allegations and maintained that he had not seen the specific details of the complaint. He claimed that adverse actions began mounting against him following his appearance on October 13 before the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the death of Vimal Negi, the former Chief Engineer of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited.
While Gandhi did not provide direct evidence linking his CBI appearance to the registration of the FIR, he insisted that the investigation was an intentional attempt to target him. Police authorities have stated that the ongoing probe will concentrate on establishing facts regarding the reimbursement claims, verifying ledger entries for the unrecorded cash withdrawals, and examining the legal culpability of all officials involved before taking further procedural steps.
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