LUCKNOW, Oct. 30 -- Despite annual audits over the past seven years, embezzlement of pension funds worth Rs.43.13 crore from the Chitrakoot treasury went undetected between August 3, 2018, and October 6, 2025. The large-scale fraud came to light only after a special audit team from the accountant general's office carried out an unannounced inspection between October 6 and 10. Following the revelation, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Chitrakoot police and led by deputy superintendent of police Arvind Kumar Verma, on Tuesday arrested 15 people, including 11 fake pensioners and four middlemen. However, the SIT has yet to lay their hands on any treasury official allegedly involved in the scam. According to Chitrakoot superintendent of police Arun Kumar Singh, those arrested include pensioners Dhannapati Devi, Laxmi Devi, Kamla Devi, Santosh Mishra, Mohan Lal, Jagat Narayan Tripathi, Durga Prasad, Ram Shiromani, Jawahar Lal, Ram Ratan, and another Mohan Lal, as well as middlemen Om Prakash, Amrit Lal, Mithlesh, and Gaurendra Shivhare. The investigation revealed that the scamsters used fake life certificates and manipulated records to transfer excess funds into the pension accounts. Singh said the investigation had also led to scrutiny of treasury officials responsible for releasing pensions every month and conducting annual audits for the past seven years. He said the SIT was expected to investigate the role of these officials in the scam and determine whether they were negligent or complicit. He added that the SIT investigation was ongoing, and more details would likely emerge about the scam and the individuals involved. Singh further said that the special audit team's investigation earlier this month revealed that the scam had been ongoing since August 2018, with the accused using various tactics to manipulate records and siphon off funds. The special audit team discovered that the annual audit teams reportedly relied on documents provided by the treasury officials, without conducting a thorough examination, he added. Another police officer privy to the investigation stated that the special audit team, comprising two experts, was granted access to the treasury system after initial resistance from officials. The scrutiny revealed discrepancies in the accounts of 93 pensioners, including some who were deceased. Further investigation revealed that the accused had been reactivating dormant accounts for funds transfer, he added. Notably, four treasury officials and 93 proxy pensioners were named in the FIR lodged by senior treasury officer of Chitrakoot, Ramesh Singh, on October 17. The accused included Sandeep Kumar Srivastava (now deceased), who was assistant treasury accountant, treasury accountant Ashok Kumar, assistant treasurer Vikas Singh Sachan and retired assistant treasurer Awadesh Pratap Singh as well as 93 fake beneficiaries. As per the FIR, the accused officials manipulated pension records and authorised illegal payments amounting to several crores. One of the key accused, Sandeep Srivastava, died of a heart attack on October 19, barely 24 hours after police began interrogating him....