Pakyong, 29 June : In a significant crackdown on corruption, the Sikkim Vigilance Police arrested two officials of the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) on Friday, charging them with criminal conspiracy, cheating, misappropriation, and forgery. The arrests followed searches at their residences and offices in Gangtok and Sang.
The officials, along with a deceased female customer—who was the mother of one of the officials—allegedly defrauded the Government of Sikkim by dishonestly depositing six Demand Drafts (DDs) worth approximately Rs. 30 lakhs into their personal bank accounts. These drafts, issued by the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, and SBS, were meant for the Accounts Officer of the Pension Department, Government of Sikkim, to refund overpayments made to six deceased pensioners. Instead, the accused officials diverted the funds to their personal accounts and withdrew the amounts within a day or two of the credit.
Following a complaint by the Pension Department, the Sikkim Vigilance Police registered an FIR against unknown officials from the Pension Department, SBS, and other unknown persons.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that one of the drafts had been deposited in March 2024 into the account of a female customer who had passed away in January 2017. This customer was the mother of one of the accused officials. Despite her death, her account remained active, and her death certificate has been seized by the Vigilance Department.
The investigation also uncovered incriminating documents, including bank passbooks, passports, and fixed deposits worth several lakhs of rupees. As the investigation continues, the total amount of the defalcation may increase further.
