The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth ₹65.46 crore in a money laundering case linked to Dorjee Tshering Lepcha, a former general manager of the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS).
According to an ED statement, the attached assets include four residential properties and land parcels in Deorali, Syari, Ranipool, and Penlong— all located in Sikkim. The properties were allegedly acquired using funds siphoned from the SBS through fraudulent activities.
Additionally, multiple bank accounts in the names of Lepcha and his family members, containing deposits totaling approximately ₹53.41 crore, have been frozen as part of the ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Fraudulent Account and Fund Misappropriation
The ED’s probe revealed that Lepcha had allegedly orchestrated a large-scale fraud by creating a fictitious bank account under the name “AE Roads and Bridges Department, Government of Sikkim.” Funds were illegally credited to this account through manipulated transactions involving two public sector banks and later diverted to personal accounts belonging to Lepcha and his associates.
Investigation Background
The probe follows an FIR registered by the Crime Investigation Department (CID). Last month, the ED conducted multiple searches at properties linked to Lepcha and seized documents related to real estate transactions.
The State Bank of Sikkim, established in 1968, operates as an autonomous body under the Sikkim government and is responsible for handling the state’s treasury functions.
The ED has stated that the investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to track the flow of misappropriated funds and identify other individuals potentially involved in the fraud.
Sources By Agencies