The CBI Shimla has booked a former head constable, Nitesh Lama of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) who was posted at Aviation Security Group (ASG) Shimla airport, for embezzlement of government funds to the tune of Rs 5.56 lakh.

Lama was posted at the ASG Shimla airport from 2015 to 2020. A departmental inquiry by CISF uncovered the embezzlement of government funds, following which Lama was dismissed from the service on July 28, 2022.

Lama being the dealing clerk dealt with all types of government funds, salary payment and medical claims of unit personnel and transactions thereof.

Whenever medical claims for unit personnel was credited to the unit office bank account by Airport Authority of India, he did not pay the full medical claims to the claimants and saved random portion of the amount in the government office account for accumulation and later on that saved amount was withdrawn through cheques on falsified grounds, said the CISF’s complaint to CBI, dated January 24.

Explaining further about his modus operandi, the complaint added, “Sometimes, he did not pay the medical claim to the claimant at all and kept the whole amount and kept the whole amount in the government account for accumulation and utilised the same amount by making false and forged documents.”

In departmental enquiry, it was also revealed that the individual has also embezzled salary payment of arrears of some unit personnel, by intentionally tampering and forging official documents by applying the same modus operandi, said the complaint.

The CBI registered the FIR on August 3, 2023.

Earlier, the matter was also taken up with the concerned SHO, Police Station West, District Shimla and SP Shimla.

From there it was forwarded to DGP Shimla and examined at the Police Headquarters level and finally, it was observed that Lama was a central government employee and it would be appropriate if the case is handled by the CBI.

Commandant CISF unit, ASG Chandigarh, Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, has given his approval under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Lama, on July 28, 2023 following which the FIR was registered.