Former ICAR-CIFRI Director Booked by CBI Over Alleged Diversion of Rs 27.89 Lakh

The CBI has registered a case against former director of the ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Basanta Kumar Das, alleging diversion of government funds worth Rs 27.89 lakh to his family members and others, officials said.

According to the FIR, Das allegedly diverted portions of government funds during his tenure as director of the institute in Barrackpore, Kolkata, by sanctioning advances and reimbursements that were subsequently transferred to bank accounts of his family members. The agency has alleged that the financial transactions resulted in wrongful loss to the government exchequer and corresponding wrongful gain to the beneficiaries.

The CBI case is based on allegations concerning the handling and disbursement of funds during Das's tenure at the research institute. The agency is expected to examine the records relating to the advances and reimbursements sanctioned during the period under scrutiny, officials said.

The FIR alleges that amounts released for official purposes were diverted, with some of the money ultimately reaching accounts linked to Das's family members. The agency has named the alleged beneficiaries in its case and will investigate the circumstances surrounding the transactions.

The allegations relate to the manner in which public funds were sanctioned, reimbursed and subsequently transferred. The CBI will also examine whether the transactions were authorised and whether the funds were used for the purposes for which they were released.

Das, declined to comment on the allegations, saying the matter was sub judice. The registration of the FIR marks the beginning of the CBI investigation into the alleged financial irregularities. The agency may question the persons concerned and examine relevant financial and official records as part of the probe.

The case comes amid scrutiny of alleged misuse of government funds and financial irregularities in public institutions. Further details of the investigation, including the period during which the alleged transactions took place and the identities of other beneficiaries, are expected to emerge as the probe progresses.