Former headmaster, clerk get jail term for embezzling govt funds

Thiruvananthapuram: Vigilance court on Friday sentenced a former headmaster and a clerk of Kilimanoor Govt Higher Secondary School to 27 years of rigorous imprisonment for embezzling govt funds through fraudulent teachers' PF loans and salary transactions. Judge Manoj A also imposed a total fine of over Rs 4 lakh on the accused.The court found K Rajan, former headmaster and a native of Valakom in Kollam, and Riyas Kalam of Thattathumala, then clerk at Kilimanoor school and now serving at Attakulangara Govt High School, guilty in the case.
According to the prosecution, the duo misappropriated Rs. 7.88 lakh between 2011 and 2015 while handling salary bills and SPARK (Service and Payroll Administrative Repository for Kerala) -related duties. Using the SPARK system, they fraudulently generated salary bills in the names of two teachers who had retired in March 2014 and siphoned off funds meant for salaries, scholarships, stipends and grants. Following an investigation by vigilance Thiruvananthapuram unit, an FIR was registered and filed a charge sheet. Public prosecutor Veena Satheesan appeared for the vigilance. The case was investigated by former DSPs Mahesh R and A Abdul Wahab.