Tiruvarur Forest Dept Accountant Suspended for Siphoning ₹48 Lakh

A state forest department accountant in Tiruvarur, K S Sivakumar, has been charged in a case and placed under suspension for allegedly forging treasury challans and bank seals to divert at least ₹48 lakh in department funds into private bank accounts.

According to a senior forest official, revenue generated by the department is normally deposited through two channels. Cash collections are required to be deposited directly into a designated forest revenue account at the state treasury, while digital payments are remitted into an account at a nationalised bank.

Instead of adhering to this procedure, Sivakumar allegedly deposited the department’s revenue into personal bank accounts belonging to a contractor. To conceal the diversion of funds, he allegedly fabricated fake treasury challans using forged bank seals and submitted them as legitimate proof of remittance.

The fraudulent activity initially came to light after a cheque worth ₹72 lakh, signed by District Forest Officer S Krithika, was deposited into an individual’s personal bank account rather than the department's official account.

When the discrepancy regarding the ₹72 lakh cheque was flagged, Sivakumar remitted the full amount back to the government treasury account. While the matter was not subjected to further scrutiny at that time, the wider financial irregularities and forged documents were subsequently uncovered during the forest department’s annual audit inspection.