Forger RDA sent to 15 days JC, one more picked up as co-accused

SORENG, 22 March: A Rural Development Assistant at Soreng BAC in West Sikkim, Krishna Bahadur Gurung, was arrested on charges of forging the signature of his senior, BDO Soreng, to illegally withdraw Rs. 2.25 lakh from a GPU’s bank account [read NOW! issue dated 21 March 2012] some days back. In a new development, the West Sikkim police yesterday took into custody on MS Subba, a retired army personnel, from Soreong as a co-accused.
SP West, DB Giri, while talking to this correspondent informed that the Police received a complaint from BDO Soreng, Somnath Adhikari, alleging that his signature had been forged by his RDA of Mandong-Barbotey GPU to withdraw an amount of Rs. 2.25 lakh from the GPU’s bank account in SBS Soreong.
As per the official complaint, the BDO had released a cheque for Rs. 25,000 in the name of Mandogaon-Barbotey GPU. The RDA, it is alleged, went on to make out another cheque (as GPUs have their own cheques) of Rs. 2 .25 lakhs. Police investigation suggests that the co-accused, MS Subba, forged the BDO’s signature. The two then withdrew the amount and pocketed the Rs. 2 lakh surplus.
The BDO upon discovering the unauthorised withdrawal soon confirmed the signature as a forgery and approached his immediate senior, the ADC West [Development] and also informed the DC about the incident. With the permission of ADC, the BDO lodged an FIR at Soreng Police Station on 19 March, following which the RDA was taken into custody the same day.
During interrogation, the RDA is reported to have admitted his crime and informed the police about the involvement of MS Subba, who was then taken into custody yesterday.
The SP informs that both the accused have been booked under sections 420/ 468/ 471 of the Indian Penal Code at Soreng PS and presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, South and West, at Namchi today from where they were sent to 15 days judicial custody at the District Prison, Boomtar in Namchi.
As for the recovery of the stolen amount, the SP informs that the accused said that they had already used up the entire amount. Cross checking with their bank accounts shows that they do not have the money there, the SP stated while adding that investigation is still underway to check if the accused have any other bank accounts into which they might have stashed the money.