A constable of the state police posted in Alipurduar was arrested on Sunday for allegedly siphoning government funds under the pretext of making payments to civic volunteers of the district.

Dipankar Sarkar, the constable, who was posted as a cash clerk in the office of the superintendent of police, will be produced in a local court on Monday.

Sources said that recently, senior police officers found certain discrepancies in the payments made to the bank accounts of civic volunteers.

“Sarkar transfers the money to their bank accounts. Recently, it was found that even though a number of civic volunteers were absent from their duties, payments were released against their names,” said a police officer.

This made the police initiate an internal inquiry against Sarkar. Eventually, it was found that he siphoned funds by transferring money in smaller portions to his own bank account and to the bank accounts of his family members on the pretext of making payments to civic volunteers.

“He showed that the civic volunteers had joined their duties although they were absent. As he was the cash clerk, he had access to the payment software and could change bank details where the money could be transferred,” the officer added.

In the course of the inquiry, police officers have found that Sarkar siphoned around Rs 9.5 lakh in the past two to three years.

“He has been working as a cash clerk for the past five-six years. We suspect that once we collate the entire data of such misappropriation, the amount that has been withdrawn by him might touch even Rs 20 lakh,” said an officer.

Y. Raghuvamshi, the district police chief, said the inquiry against the constable was still in progress. “We have adequate proof based on which he has been arrested. He will be put under suspension and he will be produced in court tomorrow (Monday). We need to interrogate him for more information,” SP Raghuvamshi said.