Bhubaneswar, April 3: The Sambalpur police in Odisha have arrested two employees of the Excise Department, including a retired Excise Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), in connection with a case involving large-scale embezzlement of government funds worth over Rs 3.67 crore between 2022 and 2025, said Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo, Superintendent of Police, Sambalpur district, on Friday.

The accused persons arrested in the fraud case have been identified as Sandeep Kumar Pattnaik, a junior assistant (currently under suspension), and Sarat Chandra Behera, a retired Excise ASI.

Meanwhile, the police sources also revealed that another accused in the case, retired Excise ASI Achyuta Dehury, is still on the run. Serious financial irregularities came to light during an audit of the Excise Department’s financial records by authorities, including the Principal Accountant General (A&E), Odisha.

Subsequently, based on a written report submitted by Ashok Kumar Seth, I/C Deputy Commissioner of Excise (Northern Division), Sambalpur, the Ainthapali police registered a case (73/26) on March 9 and launched an investigation into the massive fraud.

The cops, during investigation, found that multiple unauthorised sanction orders were generated through the IFMS portal in favour of the retired Excise ASI Achyuta Dehury, leading to excess withdrawal of pension and salary arrears between November 2022 and October 2025. The official records, such as bill registers and cash books, were also found to be manipulated and not properly maintained.

“During investigation, bank account analysis showed suspicious high-value transactions, including large cash withdrawals and transfers to associates, indicating misappropriation and diversion of Government funds,” the police also added.

The accused Pattnaik, who was dealing with establishment matters, was arrested by the cops on March 28 for his involvement in the misappropriation of government funds to the tune of Rs 3.67 crore.

The police also managed to arrest another accused, Behera, Retd. ASI, on March 31. The accused persons, by abusing their official position, allegedly manipulated financial records, generated fraudulent sanctions, and siphoned off Government money, causing wrongful loss to the State exchequer and corresponding gain to themselves.

The police have so far seized Rs 23,46,500 from the possession of accused Pattnaik, while another Rs 44 lakh from the total defrauded amount transferred to various accounts has been frozen by the police.

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, alleging that capable and honest officers have no value in the current system. Speaking in Lucknow, he claimed that those involved in corruption and irregularities are being favored, while efficient officers are sidelined.

Yadav urged officials not to take decisions in emotional distress, asserting that “better days are coming.” He said a future PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) government would ensure dignity, proper roles, and respect for deserving officers. According to him, quality governance depends on skilled administrators who can deliver work within timelines.

He emphasized that the Samajwadi Party has always valued competent officers and will continue to do so. Yadav also claimed that both officers and employees who feel neglected are now aligning with the PDA vision to bring political change in the state.

Highlighting his slogan, he said, “Pain is increasing, that’s why PDA is growing,” adding that those who feel oppressed are naturally joining the movement.

He concluded by expressing confidence that the current regime’s “bad days” are nearing an end.

New Delhi, April 1: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday registered a case against Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom), Anil Ambani, unknown public servants, and unknown others on allegations of causing wrongful loss of Rs 3,750 crore to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.

The case has been registered on the basis of a complaint received from Life Insurance Corporation of India Ltd. for offences of conspiracy, cheating, misappropriation, and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to an official statement.

It is alleged that LIC was fraudulently induced to subscribe to Non Convertible Debentures (NCDs) worth Rs 4,500 crore on the basis of false representations made by Reliance Communications Ltd. and its management regarding the financial health of the company, and security and asset cover offered to LIC while subscribing to the NCDs.

The LIC has made this complaint on basis of a forensic audit report dated October 15, 2020 conducted by BDO India LLP, which reported that RCom and its management had resorted to misutilisation of funds raised from banks and financial institutions, routing of funds through subsidiaries, misuse of sale invoice financing, discounting of fictitious bills, systematic siphoning of funds through inter-company deposits and shell related entities, creating and write-off of fictitious debtors and receivables and gross overstatement of security. There was a mismatch between the charges and the assets.

Investigation of the case is in progress, the statement added.

The CBI had earlier registered three cases against RCom Ltd, Anil Ambani, and others on allegations of defrauding a number of banks.

Anil Ambani was also interrogated by the CBI at its head office in Delhi for two days in a row in connection with the alleged Rs 2,929.05 crore SBI fraud case.

The CBI had registered an FIR on August 21, 2025, following a complaint filed by the SBI, in which Reliance Communications Limited, Anil D. Ambani and others, including unknown public servants, are accused.

The State Bank of India (SBI) is the lead bank in the consortium of 11 banks — Bank of India, Central Bank of India, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India, e-Corporation Bank, Canara Bank, e-Syndicate Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, IDBI Bank Limited, and e-Oriental Bank of Commerce that had extended loans to the Anil Ambani group.

The complaint is based on a forensic audit report that alleges large-scale diversion and misutilisation of loan funds through interlinked and circuitous transactions among group entities during the period 2013-17, resulting in wrongful loss of Rs 2929.05 crore to the SBI out of total exposure of Rs 19, 694.33 crores involving 17 public sector banks, according to an official statement.

Subsequent to the registration of the case, separate complaints were received from the Punjab National Bank, the Bank of India, the Union Bank of India, the UCO Bank, the Central Bank of India, the IDBI Bank, and the Bank of Maharashtra. Further, another case has been registered against Reliance Communications Limited, Anil Ambani and others unknown, including unknown public servants, on February 25 on the basis of a complaint dated February 24, received from the Bank of Baroda, which includes exposure of e-Dena Bank and e-Vijaya Bank.