Head cashier of Ghaziabad power dept arrested in fraud

GHAZIABAD: A head cashier of the electricity department and his associate have been arrested for allegedly misappropriating over Rs 3 crore deposited by people as their electricity bill.
According to police, the accused have been identified as Sumit Gupta, head cashier, and Sachin Sharma, a resident of Meerut.
As per the FIR, Gupta had siphoned off the money during the months of lockdown — from July to September — after doing forgery in the cashbook of the department.
“Gupta used to collect all the cash from junior cashiers and deposit the money at the bank. He also maintained the cash book,” said an official from the power department.
A senior official told TOI that they came to know about the fraud when they were matching the record of money with the cash book.
“We found it suspicious and asked for an enquiry. The department came to know that Gupta had done fraud within the department and somehow forged the cashbook and siphoned off over Rs 3 crore,” he added.
The official said they have suspended him after he was found guilty in the enquiry. “After that he was never seen in the office and his phone is also switched off,” he added.
Krishna Gopal Sharma, SHO, Sihani Gate police station told TOI that a complaint was made by the power department following which an FIR was lodged against Sumit Gupta under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. “Our team arrested him from his house on Wednesday night,” Sharma said.