Financial Fraud Reported in Shivapura Gram Panchayat: Bill Collector Booked for Misappropriating Lakhs

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Mangaluru : A case of financial fraud and criminal breach of trust has been reported from the Shivapura Gram Panchayat in Hebri taluk, where a bill collector allegedly misappropriated lakhs of rupees collected as house tax. According to the complaint, the accused, identified as 40-year-old Manjunath, collected tax funds directly from residents but failed to deposit the money into the official bank account of the Gram Panchayat.

The financial audit revealed that the collector misused ₹1,18,367 collected during the fiscal year 2023-24, along with ₹3,36,021 gathered during 2024-25. In total, an amount of ₹4,54,388 collected under house tax revenue was fraudulently diverted for his personal use instead of being remitted to the local administration’s account.

Following the discovery of the embezzlement, Shivapura Gram Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) Ashok lodged a formal police complaint regarding the fraud. Based on the complaint, a case has been officially registered at the Hebri Police Station, and law enforcement authorities have initiated a detailed investigation into the matter.