Pune: NDA Clerk Accused of Rs 11 Lakh Embezzlement, Internal Inquiry Exposes Fraud

Mubarak Ansari
Uttamnagar, 31st December 2023: A complaint has been lodged with the Uttamnagar police station, Pune City Police, by the accounts officer of the National Defence Academy (NDA), unveiling a long-standing embezzlement that transpired between 2013 and 2019. The accused, identified as Hemant Rawal, served as a clerk during this period.

The discrepancy came to light when the accounts officer noticed irregularities in the rent/rebate amounts for shops located in Gol Market. These amounts, credited monthly to the NDA Regimental Fund account, were found to be consistently lower than expected. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that while receipts were issued to shopkeepers, the actual deposit of the rent/rebate amount was not being made every month.

Prompted by these findings, an internal inquiry was initiated. During the investigation, officers responsible for signing documents related to monthly and annual collection expenses of the regimental fund were questioned. The probe unearthed that Rawal, the clerk tasked with collecting rebates from Gol Market shops, had been diverting the funds for personal gain without depositing them into the regimental fund.

In 2022, a senior officer from NDA conducted a comprehensive re-inquiry and compiled a final report on the matter. The report revealed that Rawal, a resident of Kodhave Dhawde, Pune, had embezzled a staggering sum of Rs 11 lakh over the course of several years.

The Uttamnagar police station has registered a case against Rawal under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to embezzlement and fraud.