Patna: A clerk of FNS Academy Higher Secondary School in Gulzarbagh has been suspended for allegedly misusing the login ID of the Patna district education office’s payment system to facilitate withdrawal of excess salary and HRA payments totalling Rs 76.71 lakh. His attendant has also been suspended for being involved in the fraud, while a departmental proceeding has been recommended against two Patna district education office clerks linked to the HRMS payment system.The case came to light during an audit by the Accountant General, Bihar. According to a report submitted by Patna district education officer Yogesh Kumar, clerk Vijay Krishna Vidyarthi and attendant Sanju Kumari allegedly received excess payments between 2024 and 2025, including HRA entered at 200% instead of 20%. The excess payment was pegged at Rs 76,71,983.Of this, Vidyarthi allegedly received Rs 62,48,240 and Kumari Rs 14,23,743. The entire amount was subsequently returned through nine cheques and deposited in the treasury on Aug 20. However, the education office said the interest demanded on the excess payment remained unpaid.In a written explanation, Vidyarthi said, “I do not know how the said amount came into my salary account.” He said he returned Rs 62,48,240 after being informed about the excess payment.An FIR was lodged at Bahadurpur police station against Vidyarthi, Kumari and clerks Manish Kumar and Amit Kumar. The department has also constituted an eight-member committee to scrutinise salary payments made through HRMS since its introduction. Vidyarthi and Kumari will also face departmental proceedings, while disciplinary action has been recommended against the two other clerks.
