CBI books five HAL employees in Odisha's Koraput for misappropriating funds worth Rs 13.28 crore

Representational image. AFP[/caption]It is alleged that Bhaben Mitra, Senior Manager Finance, in conspiracy with other employees misappropriated amounts by committing forgery of documents, siphoning off Rs 13.28 crore from the coffers of the cash-strapped PSU between 2013 and 2017.The alleged cheating which started with Rs 13.11 lakh in 2013 touched a new height during 2017 when Rs 7.78 crore was siphoned off from the company using fake bills, they said. The agency registered five FIRs against Mitra and other employees of HAL, Koraput on Tuesday.In October last year too, the agency had booked Mitra for alleged embezzlement of Rs 5 crore between January and August 2018 by submitting fake bills, work orders and invoices. The agency had carried out searches during which it found incriminating documents substantiating that the alleged fraud was going on for long in the government-run institute.The HAL Vigilance Department had on Tuesday sent five complaints related to frauds committed from 2013 to 2017, they said.Based on these complaints, the agency has registered fresh cases against Mitra, other staff members and private persons allegedly involved in the scam.