Three senior officials of the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) stand accused of embezzling Rs 69 crore from the institution’s funds. Among those implicated are Dorjee Tshering Lepcha, the general manager (operations), Tsewang Dorjee Lepcha, the assistant manager (IT), and Tilak Rai, the senior accounts assistant, all stationed at the bank’s head office in Gangtok.
The SBS has taken swift action by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the CID Sikkim Police. The charges leveled against the accused individuals include sections of the Indian Penal Code related to criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, and falsification of accounts, alongside relevant sections of the IT Act 2000.
The modus operandi involved utilizing multiple accounts to carry out the fraudulent activities. The accused allegedly initiated various fixed deposits in the name of a State government assistant engineer, in addition to investing in both movable and immovable assets.
The bank has publicly acknowledged the misappropriation of funds and underscored its commitment to pursuing legal action against those responsible. The FIR lodged with the CID Sikkim Police signifies a decisive step towards seeking justice in this matter.
This incident underscores the importance of robust oversight and accountability measures within financial institutions to prevent such occurrences in the future. The State Bank of Sikkim remains dedicated to upholding the trust and integrity essential to its operations despite this regrettable setback.
