Madurai: The CBI’s anti-corruption branch (ACB), Madurai, has registered a case against seven officials and outsourced staff of the VO Chidambaranar Port Authority in Tuticorin for allegedly misappropriating ₹4.51 crore from pension funds through record manipulation.
Accused Identified
The accused include N Anuradha, senior accounts officer (suspended); S Palanikumarasamy, accounts officer (Grade II); J Rojers Joseph Durairaja, data processing officer; C Kaliappan, assistant director (EDP); A Shanthana Shankar, senior assistant (CHD); and outsourced personnel Manikandan Prabhu and Kishore Babu.
How the Fraud Was Carried Out
According to the CBI, the accused conspired between 2017 and 2024 to siphon pension funds by exploiting the SAP-based system of the port authority. A privileged SAP user ID was misused to make unauthorized modifications to pension records, including altering bank account details of 27 pensioners.
Fake pension entries were created using details of ex-pensioners and deceased employees, while mandatory life certificates were not verified. Pension amounts were diverted to accounts belonging to relatives and associates of the accused.
Officials responsible for verification and approvals failed to follow due procedures and permitted transmission of payment details through unofficial email IDs, causing wrongful loss to the port authority.
Legal Action
The case has been booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the IT Act. The CBI took up the investigation after obtaining necessary approvals from the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government. A further probe is underway.
