Rs. 25 lakh travel allowance deposited to personal bank accounts instead of employee accounts

Mysuru: After the massive land scam in the MUDA, involving thousands of crores of rupees, and the unauthorised Khata registration of 10 acres of prime land by MCC officials without verifying records, the latest corruption deal to surface is the misuse of lakhs of rupees of public money at the office of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), Mysuru.

The latest corruption incident at the KSRP Office adds to the growing string of scams in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home district, further highlighting the rampant lack of accountability.

At the office of the KSRP 5th Battalion Commandant on Lalitha Mahal Road, KSRP Head Constable C.R. Supreeth (Badge No. 275) stands accused of misusing public funds.

The misappropriation allegedly took place while Supreeth was assisting Ponnanna, First Division Assistant in the Travel Allowance Section of the Administrative Office, beginning on Jan. 6, 2020.

Acting on the orders of Commandant Doremani Bheemaiah, KSRP Inspector Pradeep Nayak lodged a formal complaint at Nazarbad Police Station on Sept. 4.

Personal salary accounts

Since 2020, Supreeth has been accused of illegally transferring travel allowance claims into his personal salary accounts — SBI 54057526242 and Bank of Baroda 74240100016133 — rather than crediting them to the staff’s accounts through Treasury-2 from the District Treasury, according to Pradeep Nayak’s complaint. A preliminary investigation on Sept. 4, 2024, revealed that approximately Rs. 25 lakh had been misappropriated, with further inquiries ongoing. Bank statements confirmed that the travel allowance funds were indeed deposited into Supreeth’s personal accounts, as stated in the complaint.

According to H.P. Madhusudan, the Office Branch Superintendent, based on a written complaint by Pradeep Nayak under the direction of the Commandant, an FIR (No. 0123/2024) was registered against Supreeth on Sept. 4 at Nazarbad Police Station under Section 316 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Arrest and bail

Following the registration of the case, Supreeth was arrested and remanded to judicial custody. However, he has since been released on bail, confirmed the Nazarbad Police.

Head Constable C.R. Supreeth, accused of misappropriating Government funds by diverting staff travel allowances into his personal account, and FDA Ponnanna, charged with dereliction of duty, have been suspended by the KSRP 5th Battalion Commandant Doremani Bheemaiah, pending further investigation.

The case has now been transferred from Nazarbad Police Station to the CID, Bengaluru, under the direction of the KSRP ADGP, with the investigation underway, according to the Police.