Seoni: More than Rs 11 crore were paid fraudulently as compensation in Madhya Pradesh by declaring alive or non-existing people as dead from a snakebite, an official investigation has found.

As many as 21 persons have been arrested for the scam that unfolded between 2019 and 2022, officials told PTI Videos.

Scamsters exploited the government rule under which a compensation of Rs 4 lakh is paid to the victims of natural calamities which include snakebites.

“279 fictitious names were used for withdrawing money from the treasury for paying compensation to snakebite victims in connivance with officials. The amount was sanctioned without checking death certificates, police verification reports and post-mortem reports,” Joint Director (Budget and Accounts Department) of Jabalpur division Rohit Singh Kaushal told PTI Videos earlier this week.

Sachin Dahayat, an assistant grade-3 employee, was the key conspirator who in connivance with other officials allegedly manipulated the government’s Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) and withdrew money, he said.

“During our probe, it was found that those declared dead (due to a snakebite) on paper were actually alive. Also, there were many fictitious names on the list of dead persons,” said Kaushal.

A total of Rs 11.26 crore were transferred to 46 accounts fraudulently, said Keolari police station in-charge S S Ram Tekkar, adding that 21 persons have been arrested.

“The main accused Sachin Dahayat is already in custody and efforts are on to arrest 25 more suspects,” he told PTI Videos.

In some cases, Kaushal said, multiple death certificates were issued in the same name for claiming compensation.

Sant Kumar Baghel was officially declared dead due to a snakebite. The record shows that compensation of several lakh rupees was paid upon his `death’.

But a PTI Videos team found him very much alive at Malari village in Seoni district.

“I had heard that such a scam was happening in Keolari tehsil. Now that you have come here, I’ve learnt that I have been declared dead and money has been withdrawn in my name. But nothing has happened to me,” Baghel told the PTI Videos team.

“The government must take strict action against corrupt officers so that such things do not take place in the future,” he said.

Even Baghel’s family members were shocked to learn that someone used his name to claim compensation.

“Yes, he lives here,” said Durven Singh Baghel, Sant Kumar’s uncle.

“He is my nephew, and he did not die from snakebite. He is alive, and his current age is 75,” Durven Singh added.

While Baghel exists but was declared dead on official records, `Dwarka Bai, resident of Bichhua Raiyat village’ apparently never existed, yet multiple death certificates were issued in her name, the probe found.

“In her name, Rs 4 lakh were withdrawn 28 times,” said an official.

Keshuram Ghazal (59), a resident of Bichhua Raiyat, told PTI Videos, “No, there is no woman by that name in this village. Nor is there any report about a snake having bitten that woman….if she doesn’t live here, how would we know about her?

“This is the first time I am hearing about a woman by this name, from you,” he added.

Sarpanch Arjun Rai confirmed this. “There is no woman here by that name….No such snakebite incident has taken place,” he asserted.

Similarly, there are Shri Ram' andRam Prasad’ in whose names fake death certificates were issued.

`Vishnu Prasad’, a resident of Suktara village, died due to a snakebite and compensation was paid, as per official records. Except that local villagers have never heard of any such person.

“No, there is no one named Vishnu Prasad in our gram panchayat area who died from a snakebite,” said Pritam Singh, a local resident.

“This is a scam. We have been learning through the media over the past four years that a huge scam is taking place in our Keolari tehsil,” he said.