Team Goemkarponn
PORVORIM: Porvorim police have apprehended a second suspect in connection with the embezzlement of ₹5 crore in funds meant for the Goaz Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), a central government education initiative. The individual was arrested in Kolkata following a sustained surveillance operation by a police team that had been monitoring his whereabouts since May 24.
This development comes shortly after the arrest of 41-year-old businessman Robin Paul from West Bengal, who is believed to have received approximately ₹2 crore of the siphoned funds into his personal bank account. Investigators said the latest arrest was made based on information revealed during Paul’s interrogation. The accused was taken into custody on Tuesday with assistance from Kolkata police, and the team returned to Goa later that night after completing formal procedures.
Authorities suspect the involvement of a wider network, potentially comprising up to a dozen individuals. A second police team has been dispatched to another state as part of the continuing investigation to trace additional suspects.
The primary accused, alleged to be the operation’s mastermind, remains on the run. Investigators believe he gained unauthorized access to a nationalised bank branch, where he allegedly replaced the mobile number linked to official SSA bank accounts. This manipulation enabled unauthorized, high-value transfers into private bank accounts, including Paul’s.
According to police sources, the fraud may have been enabled either through serious lapses by bank staff or deliberate collusion. Investigators have not ruled out the possible complicity of SSA personnel, noting that such access to sensitive banking credentials suggests internal coordination.
