New Delhi: A confidential investigative report compiled by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has examined an alleged financial scam operating within the cash-counting apparatus of a regional Trust. The probe’s findings detail an internal review of cash-counting processes, alleging systemic vulnerabilities and unauthorized cash handling inside the high-security counting chambers over a period in mid-2026.
According to the findings of the probe team, the pattern suggests the thefts were systematic rather than isolated. The evaluation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage covering the surveillance period from 27 April 2026 to 5 June 2026 states that 70 distinct instances of unauthorized cash movement and alleged misappropriation took place inside the cash-counting hall.
The SIT’s review of the internal surveillance architecture states that CCTV footage shows various staff members placing bundles of currency notes and loose cash into their clothing, pockets and shoes. The report alleges that, on multiple recorded occasions, other workers inside the room provided physical cover to shield these activities from direct sight lines. Investigators noted that the total volume of siphoned funds prior to 27 April 2026 remains unquantified because the local CCTV storage array automatically overwrote older files after a fixed retention period.
Consequently, while historical footage prior to late April is unavailable because of the absence of archival video backups, the SIT report asserts that the frequency of incidents captured during the surviving surveillance window indicates a continuous trend. It further states that the footage repeatedly captured the same individuals allegedly carrying out similar acts of theft on multiple occasions, suggesting that the alleged misconduct had become a recurring practice rather than isolated incidents.
The report alleges prima facie complicity against six primary operatives based on its review of the video footage and supporting documentation.
According to the report, CCTV footage shows Avinash Shukla repeatedly pocketing currency bundles and loose bills. It alleges that Anukalpa Mishra provided operational cover and assisted in concealing the cash. It states that Lavkush Mishra was filmed assisting key actors in moving and hiding currency bundles. The report further alleges that Manish Kumar Yadav, deployed through Sainik Security Services (SSS), pocketed cash, that Karunesh Pandey provided physical cover during the thefts, and that Ramashankar Mishra manipulated and concealed currency bundles from the counting tables.
The scale of the financial discrepancies was documented before the SIT was formally constituted, with Trust officials carrying out a preliminary recovery of Rs 78.94 lakh in cash from the accused handlers.
Beyond these recoveries, the report states that foreign currencies and various jewellery items were found among their personal holdings. It also records that, on 4 June 2026, security personnel recovered an abandoned stash of Rs 2.25 lakh in cash from a bathroom adjacent to the counting room.
An internal financial background check on the counting room staff noted a significant disparity between their lawful wages and their financial holdings.
The SIT verified that the standard monthly remuneration for counting agents was Rs 20,000 gross, translating into an approximate take-home salary of Rs 15,000 after mandatory deductions.
Despite this income profile, bank account statements and financial audits of the suspects, their relatives and close associates revealed substantial cash deposits, multiple fixed deposits (FDs) and high-value transactions. The investigation alleges that the siphoned donation proceeds were transferred into the bank accounts of family members and associates in an attempt to conceal the source of the funds and evade detection.
The SIT report outlines a series of operational failures in enforcing security controls inside the counting facility. It concludes that the alleged thefts were made possible because established safety protocols were not followed.
According to the report, security personnel failed to conduct mandatory body searches and frisking of employees at entry and exit points. A rule requiring staff to wear pocket-less clothing inside the vault area was not enforced.
Employees were permitted to bring personal belongings and mobile phones onto the active cash-sorting tables. Incoming donation urns were neither sequentially logged nor tracked, while the contents of separate urns were intermixed before documentation.
Denomination-wise registers, daily vouchers and ledger-balancing certificates were not prepared by on-site supervisors. The automated biometric attendance system was non-functional, and surveillance cameras were used only as passive recording devices rather than for active monitoring. The report also notes that staff routinely consumed food and beverages inside the counting floor.
The report further states that the repeated nature of the incidents reflected deficiencies in supervision, monitoring and the training of personnel deployed inside the counting room. According to the SIT, the persistence of similar incidents over multiple shifts suggested that supervisory mechanisms had failed to detect or prevent the alleged misconduct despite established standard operating procedures.
The report also focuses on the administrative responsibility of senior officials overseeing the counting process, with the SIT citing management figures for serious administrative lapses.
The report indicts senior official Dr. Anil Mishra for a lack of supervisory oversight, noting that, as the principal architect responsible for designing the standard operating procedures (SOPs), he remained detached from their implementation. The SIT states that Dr. Mishra had been informed through internal channels that physical frisking was not being carried out at the gates. Despite this knowledge, he allegedly failed to issue any written directive or corrective instruction to rectify the breach, leading the probe to characterize his conduct as a serious case of supervisory failure and administrative negligence.
The report further notes that as the senior-most functionary responsible for framing and implementing the SOP governing the cash-counting process, Dr. Mishra bore overall supervisory responsibility for ensuring that the prescribed safeguards were effectively enforced. According to the SIT, despite being aware that mandatory frisking, biometric attendance, pocket-less uniforms and other prescribed security measures were not being implemented, no effective corrective action was taken.
Similarly, the probe examines the role of Subhash Srivastava, who was appointed as the main Counting Room In-Charge on the recommendation of Dr. Anil Mishra. Holding direct responsibility for the day-to-day functioning of the counting room, Srivastava is cited for failing to maintain discipline and prevent employee misconduct, which the report states created an environment in which the alleged irregularities could continue unchecked.
Further detailing the administrative lapses, investigators noted that a local operative, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu, was permitted to retain physical custody of the keys to the donation urn locks and manage access to the counting room without any official authorization or formal written appointment order from the Trust administration.
The report has recommended a deeper forensic criminal investigation to determine the exact value of the assets allegedly siphoned off, identify any additional beneficiaries, and examine the wider financial networks that may have been involved.