Kozhikode: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau will be ordered to investigate the alleged financial fraud perpetrated by Forest Department personnel by exaggerating the number of Sambar deer at the Mini Zoo at Kaprikkad.
The VACB would begin the probe after registering the FIR as soon as the Forest Department gets the Government's nod to transfer the case.
About half a crore rupees was embezzled by recording in the register that 158 sambar deer, instead of the factual 135 animals, were being maintained in the zoo and claiming that Rs 8,300 was being spent on feed for each animal every month. Several corrections were found in the register of birth of sambar deer.
The fudging of accounts, which was going on from 2019, was unearthed after a new Range Officer, who took charge, personally counted the sambar deer.
Kaprikkad village is near Kothamangalam in Kerala's Ernakulam district.
Why another investigation agency
The Kerala Forest Department has decided to hand over the probe to the Vigilance as it was realised that the probe by its own Vigilance wing will not be sufficient to investigate the involvement of external parties. Besides the modus operandi of the fraud was such that the VACB, which is under the Home Ministry and manned by police personnel, is capable to investigate matters such destruction of evidence and forgery.
Meanwhile, the Vigilance wing of the Forest Department is set to submit the final report recommending to continue departmental actions against those involved. The Additional Principal Forest Conservator has recommended strict action against those involved in the fraud.
How the scam was detected
Earlier, a probe by the Divisional Forest Officer (Flying Squad), Ernakulam, had revealed that financial misappropriation had been committed in the name of animals for a few years.
The fraud was exposed in the preliminary investigation and inspection conducted by the Ernakulam Forest Flying Squad. The key officers who were involved tried to escape by making the lower rank staff give false statements and by stating that the crucial registers were damaged and lost during floods. Extensive manipulations and fudging have been made on the bill vouchers. The forgery was done in the handwriting of a female staff. When she was interrogated, she had claimed the manipulation was done as directed by the higher officials.
The Mini Zoo is referred to as ‘Abhayaranyam – the rescue home for orphaned animals’.
