CBI Court Convicts Former DRDA Officer in ₹1-Crore SGRY Scam

CBI Court Convicts Former DRDA Finance Officer in ₹1-Crore SGRY Misappropriation Case

A long-running investigation into the misuse of rural employment funds in eastern Uttar Pradesh reached its conclusion this week, as a special CBI court in Lucknow sentenced three individuals to five years of rigorous imprisonment for their roles in siphoning off public money under the Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojana. The case, which dates back nearly two decades, involved financial irregularities that prosecutors said caused losses exceeding ₹1 crore to the government exchequer.

Among those convicted was Satyendra Singh Gangwar, who served as Chief Finance and Accounts Officer at the District Rural Development Agency in Ballia. He was found guilty alongside Ashok Kumar Upadhyay, a former junior accounts clerk at the same office, and Raghunath Yadav, a private individual accused of facilitating the diversion of funds. In addition to prison terms, the court imposed fines totaling ₹77,000 on the three.

The case originated in 2006, when local police registered a complaint alleging widespread manipulation of accounts and records under the rural employment scheme. The investigation was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over the matter in October 2008. At its peak, the probe named more than 130 individuals, reflecting the scale of suspected irregularities within the programme’s implementation.

According to the CBI, the convicted officials exploited their control over financial processes to misappropriate both cash and foodgrains intended for wage payments and development works. Investigators said over ₹75 lakh in cash and foodgrains worth more than ₹31 lakh were diverted through falsified records, forged documents and the deliberate destruction or concealment of official files.

After completing its investigation, the agency filed a chargesheet in 2010. The trial that followed stretched over several years, during which prosecutors presented documentary evidence and witness testimony to establish how funds meant for rural employment were systematically siphoned off. The court ultimately held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

In its ruling, the court described the offence as a serious breach of public trust, noting that welfare schemes rely heavily on financial integrity at the implementation level. Legal observers say the judgment underscores how vulnerabilities in record-keeping and oversight can persist for years before being conclusively addressed.

Cases like this, experts argue, highlight the importance of independent financial scrutiny and reconciliation mechanisms in government programmes—principles that mirror the safeguards emphasised in professional auditing services in india to detect misuse early and prevent prolonged losses to the public exchequer.

With sentencing now complete, the CBI said the judicial process in the case stands concluded, bringing closure to one of the more significant corruption prosecutions linked to rural employment schemes in the region.