2 persons arrested for bungling Rs 3.67cr govt funds

Sambalpur: Two persons were arrested for allegedly siphoning off nearly Rs 3.67 crore of govt funds after a major financial scam was unearthed in the excise department of Sambalpur district, said SP (Sambalpur) Mukesh Bhamu on Friday.The accused have been identified as Sandeep Kumar Pattnaik, a suspended junior assistant posted in the Sambalpur excise office, and Sarat Chandra Behera, a retired assistant sub-inspector (ASI). Police said another accused, Achyut Dehuri, also a retired ASI, is under scanner in connection with the scam.According to the SP, the embezzlement took place between Nov 2022 and Oct 2025. The irregularities surfaced during an internal audit conducted by the excise department following which a formal complaint was lodged at Ainthapali police station.Investigators found that the accused allegedly generated fake sanction orders by misusing the IFMS (Integrated Financial Management System) portal and fraudulently withdrew govt money by projecting it as pension dues and pending salary payments.During the raids, police seized Rs 23.46 lakh in cash from the accused and froze around Rs 44 lakh lying in multiple bank accounts linked to them. Further investigation is underway to trace the money trail and ascertain the involvement of other officials or beneficiaries in the scam, the SP added.