The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case in connection with alleged illegal withdrawals of public funds from government treasuries in Jharkhand, widening scrutiny into suspected fake salary payments and other irregular disbursements across multiple districts. Investigators believe the case may involve an organised financial network that allegedly manipulated official records and payment systems to siphon government funds.
Fake Salary Payments Under Scanner
The ED’s Enforcement Case Information Report is based on FIRs linked to suspicious treasury withdrawals in Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Bokaro. So far, 12 people have been arrested and sent to jail during investigations being conducted by the police and the Special Investigation Team.
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The matter came to light after Principal Accountant General (Accounts) Chandra Moli Singh flagged alleged irregularities in salary payments linked to the police department during an audit of treasury records. The initial findings pointed to suspicious withdrawals from the Bokaro and Hazaribagh treasuries, following which the state government ordered district-level inquiries into salary-related payments.
As the findings widened, Chief Minister Hemant Soren constituted a high-level probe committee led by a senior IAS officer. A senior official from the Accountant General’s office was also included as a member. The Principal Accountant General later informed the government that indications of similar irregular withdrawals had emerged in as many as 12 treasuries across the state.
Multiple Departments and Allowances Examined
Investigators are also examining possible irregularities in the health and education departments. Following the findings, the Finance Department directed the concerned districts to conduct detailed probes into suspicious payments.
Officials suspect that fake salary bills, inflated basic pay figures and fabricated payment entries may have been used to illegally withdraw government funds. Irregularities linked to TA, DA and other allowances have also come under scrutiny.
The probe gained momentum after the arrest of Animal Husbandry Department accountant Munindra Kumar and his associate Sanjeev Kumar in Ranchi. Investigators allege that Munindra Kumar manipulated salary payment records by inflating basic pay figures to nearly ₹20 lakh, enabling fraudulent withdrawals.
Wider Probe Into Treasury Records
In the Hazaribagh treasury case, investigators have examined the role of arrested constables Shambhu Kumar, Rajneesh Singh and Dhirendra Singh. The three had allegedly been handling accounting work at the SP office for nearly a decade, despite police regulations prohibiting such responsibilities.
Agencies are now looking into whether departmental collusion played a role in the alleged fraud. A Public Interest Litigation has also been filed in the Jharkhand High Court seeking a CBI and ED investigation into the alleged illegal treasury withdrawals.
At present, the ED, SIT and state agencies are examining suspicious bank accounts, salary records, transaction histories and departmental documents linked to the case. Investigators believe further arrests, major financial disclosures and a wider probe into multiple departments may follow as the inquiry progresses.
