Fraudsters Go Scot-Free, Embezzled Money Vanishes

BCC scams? Probes go on and on!
Fraudsters Go Scot-Free, Embezzled Money Vanishes
The Times of India

Bangalore: BCC scams: Authorities order probe and relax. Status report of even decade-old cases: ‘Departmental inquiry still pending’. ‘Awaiting government order’. ‘Under Lok Ayukta probe’. Meanwhile, the accused persons continue to work and then retire from office. Some are even dead!

Punishment pending inquiry: Temporary suspension, demotion. Money recovered: Usually very little. Nobody knows where the rest goes.

The figures are appalling. Department inquiries against nearly 60 employees and officials are pending. A few criminal proceedings initiated against officials have been caught in legal wrangles.

For instance, in the engineering department, a case of misappropriation of Rs 34.23 lakh involving seven engineers is still in ‘departmental inquiry under progress and government has not given any reply’ stage. Ironically, four engineers have already retired!

In another scam, four officials were accused of swindling Rs 35.07 lakh pertaining to computer education to poor students. Though the departmental inquiry is completed, no action has been initiated against the officials. One employee has retired and a welfare officer on deputation has been sent back to the home department.

Is the money ever recovered? Note this: The amount misappropriated in 1990 by BCC employees is nearly Rs 1.73 crore. Authorities have recovered only Rs 29.54 lakh!

In another case, the BCC has not been able to recover nearly Rs 1 crore which was siphoned off in one of the biggest scandals that had rocked the corporation in the late 90’s, according to the statement prepared by BCC on pending cases and employees involved, a copy of which was obtained by The Times of India.

Known as Arasegowda scam, Arasegowda, a clerk in the revenue department, had engineered the haul. He has been accused of embezzling Rs 86.35 lakh. The modus operandi was simple: He would not remit the betterment charges collected from the residents to the bank. Arasegowda was dismissed from service, but the entire money has not been recovered till date.

Along with him, 10 other employees were also accused in the scandal, including first-division clerk B.N. Parijatha who had swindled Rs 8.39 lakh. Though she has retired now, BCC’s joint commissioner B.S. Shekarappa issued a notice last month to attach the properties of Parijatha’s kith and kin to recover Rs 2 lakh.