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Key accused in Chitrakoot multi-crore pension scam dies under mysterious circumstances
Sandeep Kumar Srivastava, a key accused in a pension scam, died in police custody amid allegations of torture, prompting demands for a thorough investigation.
A key accused in the multi-crore pension scam in Chitrakoot, Sandeep Kumar Srivastava, who was an employee of Chitrakoot treasury, died under mysterious circumstances on Sunday night after being taken into police custody for interrogation in the matter, confirmed senior police officials on Tuesday.
They said he was accused of irregularity in issuing pensions worth ₹42.04 crore from the district treasury between August 30, 2018 and October 6, 2025.
The family of the deceased has alleged that he died due to police brutality during interrogation.
Sandeep’s brother, Sachin Srivastava, said that he was taken into custody on October 18 along with other accused, including Awadhesh Pratap Singh, Vikash Singh Sachan, and Ashok Verma. He claimed that Sandeep’s death was the result of police torture, and demanded action against the responsible officers.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Chitrakoot police stated that the accused Sandeep was brought to the Karwi Kotwali police station on Saturday afternoon and he complained of anxiety and vomiting soon after the police started interrogating him about the scam.
The officials said Sandeep’s brother took him to the district hospital where doctors suggested him to take consultation from a higher centre and thereafter he was taken to a Prayagraj hospital. He later died when his health deteriorated again on Sunday, they added.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident. In a post on social media, Yadav wrote, “The death of the main accused in the custody of the Chitrakoot treasury scam case is a very serious issue. This is not a normal death, and a fair investigation should be conducted to uncover the truth. All those involved should face strict action.” The family has also raised concerns about the handling of the case, alleging that despite 20 people being detained, none had been formally arrested.
About the scam
Four treasury officials allegedly transferred the pension amount of ₹42,04,22, 093 to different pensioners and family pensioners accounts between August 3, 2018 and October 6, 2025 causing a major loss to the state exchequer. The senior treasury officer of Chitrakoot treasury, Ramesh Singh on last Friday (October 17) lodged an FIR against four Chitrakoot treasury officials for alleged irregularities in payments to 93 pensioners, causing a loss to the government exchequer.
Those accused in the FIR are the deceased, Sandeep Kumar Srivastava, who was assistant treasury accountant, Ashok Kumar, who is treasury accountant, Vikas Singh Sachan, who is assistant treasurer, and retired assistant treasurer Awadesh Pratap Singh as well as 93 other pensioners and family pensioners.
According to the FIR, an audit team from the office of the Accountant General (Audit and Entitlement) Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad conducted an inspection of pension payment records from October 6 to October 10, 2025. The audit revealed that the treasury officials had made unauthorised payments to the pensioners and family pensioners.
An internal investigation committee was formed to look into the matter, which found that the irregular payments were made between August 2018 and September 2025. The committee identified Ashok Kumar, treasury accountant, and Sandeep Kumar Srivastava, assistant treasury accountant, as the main accused in the case.
The FIR alleges that Sandeep Kumar Srivastava and Ashok Kumar, along with Awadhesh Pratap Singh, assistant treasury officer (retd), and Vikash Singh Sachan, assistant treasury officer, were involved in the financial irregularities. The investigation committee found that the accused officials had manipulated pension records and made unauthorised payments to the tune of several crores. The FIR has been lodged under relevant sections, and the investigation is on.
