Cybercriminals siphon off ₹22.30 crore from Tamil Nadu Rural Development Directorate account

CHENNAI The Greater Chennai Police have received a complaint over the alleged siphoning-off of ₹22.30 crore from a bank account maintained by the Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Directorate through unauthorised access to its online financial transaction portal. K.R.

Ramprasad, Block Development Officer/Superintendent, attached to the Directorate of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, lodged the complaint with the Chennai Commissioner of Police, stating that unknown cybercriminals had fraudulently transferred ₹22,30,04,879 from the department’s Single Nodal Account maintained with HDFC Bank, CIT Nagar branch, between October 12 and 30. The account, held in the name of the Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, contains funds released by the Union and State governments under the Fifteenth Finance Commission Health Sector Grants.

The money is earmarked for strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure and services in rural areas.