Sikkim: ED attaches Rs. 65.46 crore worth properties in SBS fraud case
The ED’s investigation was based on an FIR filed by CID-PS, Gangtok, under various sections of the IPC, 1860, and the Information Technology Act, 2000. The case was later transferred to the Sikkim Vigilance Police.
LOCAL
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Gangtok Sub Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 46 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the misappropriation of funds from the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) by former General Manager (Operations) Dorjee Tshering Lepcha.
The attached assets include four immovable properties—residential buildings and land parcels in Deorali, Syari, Ranipool, and Penlong—acquired using Proceeds of Crime (POC). Additionally, bank balances and fixed deposits amounting to approximately ₹53.41 crore, held by Lepcha and his family members, have been seized.
The ED’s investigation was based on an FIR filed by CID-PS, Gangtok, under various sections of the IPC, 1860, and the Information Technology Act, 2000. The case was later transferred to the Sikkim Vigilance Police.
Lepcha allegedly created a fraudulent account in the name of “AE Roads and Bridges Department, Government of Sikkim” and manipulated General Ledger (GL) accounts to siphon funds from SBS through transactions with the Central Bank of India and the State Bank of India. The misappropriated funds were then transferred to personal accounts belonging to him, his wife, and associates.
On February 14, 2025, ED conducted searches at multiple locations linked to Lepcha, seizing incriminating documents related to property acquisitions. Additionally, ₹75 lakh was frozen from various bank accounts.