Balurghat Municipality fund embezzlement: Two held for Rs 14L missing from civic body’s bank a/c

BALURGHAT: Two persons were arrested in connection with the Balurghat Municipality fund embezzlement case in which Rs 14,40,068 had disappeared from the Balurghat Municipality’s bank account on November 12. The arrested were identified as of Md. Ishak and Wasim Akram. The duo was apprehended by the Muchipara police in Kolkata.

Police sources revealed that a similar incident occurred on the same day at Muchipara, raising suspicions. Acting swiftly, the police launched an investigation and arrested the two accused. Meanwhile, a team from Balurghat Police Station has already reached Kolkata to aid the probe.

According to municipal sources, Rs 14.4 lakh was withdrawn using three cheques from an account that had a total of Rs 16 lakh earmarked for building repairs.

However, the municipal chairman, Ashok Kumar Mitra, asserted that the original cheques are intact.

This has raised serious concerns about how forged cheques with matching serial numbers were processed and how the municipality’s finance officer’s signature and seal

were replicated.

The bank in question has denied any involvement, claiming that the transactions did not occur at their branch. Balurghat DSP Vikram Prasad confirmed the incident, stating: “Following a written complaint from the municipality, we began investigating the disappearance of Rs 14.4 lakh. We found that a similar crime occurred in Muchipara, Kolkata and subsequently arrested two suspects. Efforts are underway to bring them to Balurghat for further investigation.”

Municipal Chairman Mitra criticised the Central government’s privatisation policies, expressing concerns over public fund safety. “This incident highlights the growing insecurity of public money,” he said.