How two ex-inmates and two prison staff siphoned off Rs 52 lakh — from Azamgarh jail’s account

According to police, the group then allegedly systematically transferred the embezzled money to several bank accounts over months.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Azamgarh, Madhuvan Kumar Singh, said all four accused — Ramjit Yadav (33), Shiv Shankar Yadav (27), Mushir Ahmed (45), and Avadhesh Kumar Pandey (50) — have been arrested.

Of the stolen funds, police said Ramjit claimed he spent Rs 25 lakh on his sister’s wedding on January 30, and Rs 3.75 lakh to buy a Bullet, and another Rs 10 lakh to repay loans he had taken from others after being implicated in the case.

How it started

According to police, investigations revealed that Ramjit, who had been serving a sentence after being convicted in a dowry-related death case, was released on May 20, 2024, upon completing his term. Shiv, who had been lodged in jail in connection with a murder case, was released this year.

Police believe the plan was hatched when the ex-inmates were working in the jail’s accounts section as assistants to Mushir, who was the senior assistant in the accounts section. Avadhesh, a watchman, was also assigned duties in the accounts section. Police suspect the ex-inmates continued to visit or coordinate with the jail staff after their release.

Police said the matter came to light earlier this month when the Jail Superintendent questioned Mushir about the refund of unspent funds that had been released for the medical treatment of an inmate at Banaras Hindu University’s medical centre.

When Mushir claimed he had no knowledge of the matter, the superintendent grew suspicious and ordered a detailed verification of the jail’s financial records.

During the audit, police said, it was discovered that large sums of money had been fraudulently transferred from the jail’s official account to Ramjit’s personal bank account among other accounts.
Police said further investigation revealed that Ramjit was a former inmate. While serving his sentence, he had been assigned to the jail accounts office as an assistant (writer) under the supervision of Mushir — giving him access to financial documents and cheque books.

Following the discovery, a case was registered at Kotwali police station in Azamgarh on October 10 against the accused for fraudulently transferring Rs 52.85 lakh from the jail’s official bank account using forged cheques and fake signatures. The FIR includes charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and forgery.

Where the money went

After verifying the financial records and identifying discrepancies, police summoned all four suspects. During questioning, their involvement in the fraudulent transactions was confirmed; police said they were formally arrested.

During the investigation, police recovered a Bullet motorcycle and a mobile phone — both allegedly purchased using the embezzled money — from Ramjit’s possession. In addition, they found photographs of bank cheques, bank statements, and a forged seal bearing the name of the Senior Superintendent of Azamgarh Jail, which were reportedly used in the fraudulent transactions.

Police said Rs 23,000 of the stolen money was found in Ramjit’s bank account, which has been seized by authorities.

Police claimed Mushir received Rs 7 lakh from the embezzled funds, which he spent on personal and household expenses. They said Shiv allegedly used Rs 5 lakh of the stolen money to finance his personal comforts and household needs. Avdhesh was found to have received Rs 1.5 lakh; he, too, used it for his personal and domestic expenses.

Station House Officer, Kotwali police station, Yadvendra Pandey said they would verify the claims of the accused as to where they had spent the money.

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