📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Stm user
Crime
Rs 33 lakh bridge payment fraud uncovered; FIR against former SDO, assistant and contractor in Singrauli
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 04 Nov 2026, 04:01 PM
👁 9
An alleged misappropriation of about Rs 33 lakh in the final payment for the Mayar River bridge has led the Economic Offences Wing to file an FIR against the former Sub‑Divisional Officer, an assistant and the contractor.
The Economic Offences Wing of Madhya Pradesh has uncovered a suspected fraud involving roughly Rs 33 lakh in the final settlement for the Mayar River bridge in Singrauli. The irregularity surfaced when a payment bill originally worth Rs 7 lakh was allegedly inflated to Rs 40 lakh before the funds were disbursed.
Investigators say the inflated invoice was used to siphon off public money, creating a shortfall of about Rs 33 lakh. The probe traced the manipulation to officials who oversaw the project’s finances and the contractor responsible for the construction work.
Based on the evidence, the agency lodged a First Information Report against the former Sub‑Divisional Officer (SDO), the assistant officer (उपयंत्री) who was on duty at the time, and the contractor who executed the bridge work. The FIR cites criminal breach of trust and cheating under the Indian Penal Code.
Authorities have not disclosed the names of the individuals pending formal charges, but they indicated that the case will be forwarded to the district court for trial. The incident has raised concerns about oversight in public‑infrastructure projects in the region.
Investigators say the inflated invoice was used to siphon off public money, creating a shortfall of about Rs 33 lakh. The probe traced the manipulation to officials who oversaw the project’s finances and the contractor responsible for the construction work.
Based on the evidence, the agency lodged a First Information Report against the former Sub‑Divisional Officer (SDO), the assistant officer (उपयंत्री) who was on duty at the time, and the contractor who executed the bridge work. The FIR cites criminal breach of trust and cheating under the Indian Penal Code.
Authorities have not disclosed the names of the individuals pending formal charges, but they indicated that the case will be forwarded to the district court for trial. The incident has raised concerns about oversight in public‑infrastructure projects in the region.