NIA officer submits dubious bills, seniors don’t act

Before a ‘discreet inquiry’ could turn into a departmental one, the officer returned the entire amount.

New Delhi: A Superintendent of Police (SP) rank IPS officer, who is presently posted with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Jammu and Kashmir, had allegedly submitted doubtful bills amounting to close to Rs 2 lakh to the agency for reimbursement which were reimbursed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the controlling body of the NIA, according to sources.

Following a complaint that was sent to the MHA and the then NIA Director Y.C. Modi in the latter part of 2020, detailing the irregularities done by this officer, a discreet inquiry was launched against the officer. Before it could turn into a departmental inquiry, the officer reportedly returned the entire amount while stating that he had done the act “mistakenly”. The matter was then closed, according to sources, despite the service rules clearly stating that such acts invite major punishment, including denial of promotion.

The officer concerned had joined India’s premier anti-terror agency in June 2018. He was part of the NIA team that investigated the Pulwama bombing case, had submitted travelling and daily allowance bills multiple times during 2019, after which the said amount was credited into his bank account, as per the service rules.

According to official sources, this kind of misappropriation has resulted in strict action against several officers, especially those belonging to the non-IPS cadre in multiple agencies, but the officer concerned escaped facing any action due to reasons best known to his superior officers.

MHA sources confirmed that strict action has been taken against non-IPS cadre officers posted in various agencies for submitting “incorrect” TA/DA bills of an amount less as Rs 2,000. The Sunday Guardian wrote the MHA spokesperson and Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla seeking response as to whether the Ministry was mulling any action against the officer concerned. No response was received till the time the story went to press.