March 1st 2025.
In a recent development, the Enforcement Directorate revealed that they have uncovered a financial misappropriation of Rs 2.5 crore in the Odisha Forest department. This came to light after conducting a series of raids at the Jaipatna Range office in the Kalahandi district's south forest division.
According to the federal probe agency, their investigation was triggered by an operational analysis report from the financial intelligence unit, which pointed towards a case of 'money mule accounts'. Upon preliminary investigations, it was found that certain officials in the Forest department were involved in using multiple mule accounts to divert and misuse funds meant for various government schemes.
The officials, including forest guards and rangers, had opened 121 mule accounts in the names of different individuals. These accounts received funds through NEFT from the range office, and the money was immediately withdrawn through ATMs. This raised red flags and led to further scrutiny by the authorities.
For those unfamiliar, a mule account is a bank account used by scamsters to transfer illegal funds. Interestingly, many of these accounts were opened using the same mobile numbers. It is suspected that the total amount diverted from the Forest department could be more than Rs 2.5 crore, as stated by the Enforcement Directorate.
During the raids, the agency seized a number of ATM cards belonging to the mule accounts, along with mobile phones, withdrawal slips, digital devices, and incriminating documents. They also discovered an illegal tiger skin, which adds to the gravity of the situation.
This is a major breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into financial irregularities in the Forest department, and the Enforcement Directorate is determined to get to the bottom of this scam.
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