Salary Scam Exposed: Jharkhand accountant arrested for ₹3 Cr fraud

An accountant with the Jharkhand Animal Husbandry Department has been arrested for allegedly siphoning off nearly ₹3 crore by manipulating salary accounts, police said on Thursday, in what appears to be part of a wider pattern of treasury-related frauds in the state.

The accused was apprehended on Wednesday following a complaint lodged by Executive Magistrate Md Zafar Hasnat on April 14 at Kotwali police station . According to officials, the accountant was posted at the Institute of Animal Health and Production in Ranchi’s Kanke area.

Police said the accused allegedly embezzled funds by tampering with salary bills and inflating his own salary figures . Preliminary investigations indicate that the fraudulent withdrawals were carried out over multiple financial years, from 2023-24 to 2025-26 .

“The accused manipulated salary accounts to divert government funds for personal gain. The total embezzlement is estimated to be around ₹3 crore ,” said Sanoj Choudhary , officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, adding that further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the fraud and possible involvement of others.

The arrest comes amid growing concerns over financial irregularities in government departments across Jharkhand. Recently, a police department accountant in Bokaro was arrested for allegedly withdrawing over ₹6 crore from a treasury salary account, prompting Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore to order a statewide probe .

In a separate but related case, five individuals have been arrested in connection with a treasury scam at the Hazaribag Superintendent of Police office, where the alleged embezzlement amount has escalated to ₹28 crore .

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday said the government is taking the issue of fraudulent salary withdrawals “very seriously” and has initiated a detailed investigation . “Irregularities have been identified, and several individuals have already been traced,” he said after a cabinet meeting.

Authorities indicated that the ongoing probe will examine systemic loopholes in treasury operations and accountability mechanisms to prevent such frauds in the future.