Palanpur: An outsourced clerk posted at the Sami taluka health office in Patan district was booked for allegedly embezzling Rs 27.19 lakh meant for ASHA workers’ salaries and various govt grants by tampering with official cheques and bank transfer documents.The accused, identified as Bharat Nadoda, a resident of Bhamathal village, allegedly diverted govt funds into his personal bank account through fraudulent transactions carried out over several months.According to the complaint, between Feb 27 and May 7, Nadoda allegedly siphoned off a total of Rs 48.60 lakh from official accounts. Fearing detection, he later transferred Rs 21.40 lakh back to the govt accounts through RTGS transactions routed via his mother’s bank account. However, investigators found that the remaining Rs 27.19 lakh was allegedly misappropriated for personal use.Officials suspect that the fraudulent activities may have begun even earlier, during the tenure of former taluka health officer Dr K D Mehta, who retired on Dec 31, 2025. The irregularities came under scrutiny after the current taluka health officer, Dr Nikulkumar Naik, raised questions about suspicious financial transactions.The scam surfaced when ASHA workers complained that their 50% top-up payments and fixed-pay increments had not been credited to their accounts. Acting on these complaints, the in-charge taluka health officer initiated an inquiry, which revealed large-scale financial irregularities.Investigators found that Nadoda had manipulated several official cheques. In one instance, a cheque issued for ASHA workers’ salaries worth Rs 6.79 lakh on Feb 25, 2026, was altered to Rs 26.79 lakh. Police said he often left the payee column blank and convinced senior officials that beneficiary names would be entered by the bank through a computerised process before obtaining their signatures. After securing the signatures, he allegedly inserted his own name and deposited the funds into his account.The probe further revealed that Nadoda diverted Rs 3.74 lakh from various office funds, including contingency funds earmarked for electricity bills as well as NPS, GPF and insurance-related contributions of staff members, by transferring the money to his personal account through fraudulent means.A preliminary audit has estimated the total defalcation at Rs 27.19 lakh.Based on the findings, police have registered a case against Nadoda under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, or BNS. He has been relieved from his duties, and an investigation is underway.Police Inspector Rebaben Ramjibhai Modi is probing the case further to determine whether any bank officials or other individuals were involved in facilitating the fraud.
