Rs 1.5 crore scam in BSF welfare schemes, FIR registered in Delhi

According to a letter by a BSF commandant to Delhi Police, at least Rs 1.5 crore from the Seema Prahari Beema Yojana(SPBY) and Golden Jubilee Seema Prahari Kalyan Kawach(GJSPKK) fund were embezzled from the BSF headquarters account in Delhi.

Funds meant for the welfare of Border Security Force personnel were allegedly siphoned off to different bank accounts in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana, the BSF has informed Delhi Police seeking a probe into the alleged scam.

According to a letter by a BSF commandant to Delhi Police, at least Rs 1.5 crore from the Seema Prahari Beema Yojana(SPBY) and Golden Jubilee Seema Prahari Kalyan Kawach(GJSPKK) fund were embezzled from the BSF headquarters account in Delhi. The two funds are related to welfare and insurance of BSF personnel across the country. It is an internal insurance run by the paramilitary force.

Delhi Police registered an FIR at the Lodhi Colony police station on Friday last week and have launched a probe. Police are yet to arrest anyone.

Senior BSF officials refused to comment.

An officer presently posted in Tripura has been identified as one of the beneficiaries. The BSF has ordered an internal inquiry to probe the scale of the fraud.

DCP(South) Romil Baaniya confirmed that police have registered an FIR. “We are probing the case and have identified some of those responsible for it,” he said.

The fraud was reportedly detected in December during a special audit of the two funds maintained at the BSF headquarters in Delhi’s Lodhi Colony. The audit showed that Rs 1.5 crore was routed to accounts of private individuals by a sub-inspector who was managing the two funds. According to the complaint, the money was transferred to around 18 accounts in instalments between July and September 2013.

A police officer who is not authorised to speak to the press said the police have received transaction details and copies of audit report from BSF. The two funds from where the money is missing are run by the BSF administration and collected monthly or yearly from its personnel. Rs 500 is deducted every month from the salary of the personnel in GJSPKK fund and handed out to them in cases of death, illness, disability or retirement. For the SPBY fund, a sum of Rs 1200 is deduced every year for those soliciting insurance.

The paramilitary force, responsible for guarding the country’s borders, has over 2.5 lakh personnel.

Investigating officers said they will summon the officer for investigation. The police probe will also focus on role of other officers who managed the funds.