Panchayat members held for misuse of funds

The arrested were identified as Nangaimozhi Panchayat President Udayakumar, vice-president, Chandraleka and panchayat secretary Sangeetha. Thoothukudi Collector M Ravi Kumar had received a petition claiming that large amounts of panchayat funds were being swindled by panchayat officials. 

Based on the petition, the Collector directed the block development officer (BDO) of Udangudi, Subbulakshmi to conduct an inspection and submit a report. Subbulakshmi carried out an audit of the accounts and was shocked to find that Udayakumar had replicated her signature and taken money from the bank.

She also found out that the trio had misused a sum of Rs 36.9 lakh from most of the funds allotted under various developmental schemes for the panchayat. She informed the Collector and obtained permission to file a police complaint. Based on the directions from the Collector, the crime branch police arrested the trio on Thursday.