Police in Haryana's Nuh district have taken decisive action against a significant alleged financial scandal at the local level. An FIR has been registered against four individuals, including a former acting sarpanch and a village secretary, for the suspected misappropriation of government funds totaling a staggering Rs 2.3 crore.
The Accused and the Official Complaint
The case was formally initiated on Tuesday at the Rozka Meo police station based on a written complaint filed by the current sarpanch, Sahin Khan. The primary accused is Naheeda, the former acting sarpanch of the area. The others named in the First Information Report are her relative Papij Khan, her brother-in-law Arjun Khan, and the village secretary Nafe Singh.
Sahin Khan, who emerged victorious in the 2025 panchayat bypoll, alleged in his complaint that the accused quartet misused panchayat funds over a specific period from February 19 to June 30, 2024. A further serious allegation states that the accused failed to hand over the complete set of panchayat records to the newly elected sarpanch, obstructing the transition of power and transparency.
How the Allegations Came to Light
The road to the FIR began with internal dissent. The initial red flags were raised by two panchs from Rozka Meo – Sahib Panch (ward 5) and Jabure Panch (ward 7). On January 15, they submitted a formal complaint to the development and panchayats department in Chandigarh.
Their complaint directly accused Naheeda of diverting panchayat money for personal benefit and misusing government resources. This set the bureaucratic machinery in motion. The Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) of Indri, Indri, was tasked with conducting an inquiry. The BDPO provided all individuals involved a chance to present their evidence during the probe.
Following a verification process, the BDPO submitted a conclusive inquiry report to the Nuh Deputy Commissioner (DC) on May 27. This report confirmed that financial discrepancies had indeed occurred, lending official weight to the allegations.
Legal Action and Ongoing Investigations
Based on the findings of the BDPO's report, the Deputy Commissioner directed the police to register a criminal case. The charges are severe and reflect the gravity of the accusations. The accused have been booked under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC):
- IPC 409 (Criminal breach of trust by a public servant)
- IPC 420 (Cheating)
- IPC 467, 468, and 471 (related to forgery and using forged documents)
- IPC 120-B (Criminal conspiracy)
A police officer stated that the FIR was filed only after verifying the complaint and finding sufficient grounds to proceed. Parallel to the police case, investigations are also underway at the additional deputy commissioner level, indicating a multi-pronged administrative and legal scrutiny of the alleged Rs 2.3 crore scam.
This case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the management of local governance funds and the mechanisms to check corruption at the panchayat level. The outcome of the police investigation and the administrative probe will be closely watched.
