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A cashier at Ajmer Discom, Dharamveer Chaudhary, defrauded Rs 1.15 crore in 48 days by falsifying bill receipts.
Ajmer Discom cashier embezzles Rs 1.15 crore through fake receipts.(Image Credit)
In a shocking case of financial misconduct, a cashier at Ajmer Discom (Electricity Distribution Company) was caught stealing a whopping Rs 1.15 crore in just 48 days. The financier, identified as Dharamveer Chaudhary, reportedly used the electricity bill receipts and made fake cash payments to wire money to new people. The fraud, which went undetected by senior officials for weeks, was finally discovered, leading to the suspension of Chaudhary and three other Discom officials on Wednesday, December 25.
According to reports, the scandal first came to light in Mavli division of Udaipur district, under Mavli police station after Assistant Engineer Vijendra Gehlot lodged a report on discrepancies found in the records. Chaudhary, the Discom’s commercial assistant, is accused of inflating electricity bills, misreporting cash payments for new connections, or even failing to log certain transactions altogether.
The theft took place over a period of 48 days, from early November to mid-December. Chaudhary was responsible for managing daily cash receipts and issuing receipts to customers for various services, including electricity bill payments and new connection charges. Instead of depositing these payments into the Discom’s bank accounts, Chaudhary kept the money for himself.
The fraud came to light when Chaudhary failed to submit his monthly accounts, which were due between the 1st and 10th of each month. When he missed the December 10 deadline, he continued to make excuses for the delay despite repeated reminders. The situation escalated when higher officials insisted that he submit the accounts on December 18. Chaudhary, instead of obeying, resigned from his job on December 19 and switched off his mobile phone, leaving his whereabouts unknown.
Suspicion quickly grew among officials, who launched an internal investigation. In response to the fraud, the Discom’s Managing Director (MD) suspended Chaudhary, along with three other officials, including AEN Vijendra Gehlot and Assistant Revenue Officer Aditya Nimaavat. The suspension of these allegations took place on Wednesday night after careful consideration of the situation. While Chaudhary was the prime suspect, other officials were also punished for their role in dereliction of duty, which made the fraud go undetected for a long time.
Further investigation revealed that Chaudhary had gone to great lengths to cover up his actions. It is reported that he made himself a book with fake receipts, which he used to give fake slips to customers when he pocketed the money. The fake documents helped him cover his tracks and avoid detection by the department for weeks.
Chaudhary’s action, along with the alleged negligence of other officials, has sparked anger among the Discom. Senior management has suggested that there should be a high-level investigation into this matter, and there are demands that a thorough investigation should be conducted to prevent such future incidents.
This is not the first time that significant fraud has been detected at Ajmer Discom. Earlier this year, a similar case of embezzlement to the tune of Rs 2.21 crore was exposed, which led to the dismissal of Accountant Officer Annapurna Sen. transactions in a public utility company.
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