Former SC development officer in Keralam’s Palakkad gets jail for misappropriation

Representational image. | Photo Credit: Getty Images A former SC development officer of Palakkad block has been sentenced to a total of 38 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹10.25 lakh for misappropriating ₹8.96 lakh from welfare schemes meant for Scheduled Caste beneficiaries.The Vigilance Court at Thrissur found Renuka Kumari S., 74, a native of Sekharipuram, Palakkad, guilty. The court ordered that the prison terms be served concurrently.The offence took place during 2002-03, when she was working as the SC development officer in Palakkad block. She reportedly falsified official records, including the cash book and acquittance register, to divert funds from three schemes.The misappropriated amount included ₹7.45 lakh from a housing scheme, ₹74,000 from a land purchase scheme and ₹77,247 from a student scholarship scheme.The Vigilance unit in Palakkad registered a case in 2006 and later filed a charge sheet after completing the investigation.Vigilance Court Judge K.M. Ratheesh Kumar delivered the verdict. Public prosecutor V.K. Shailajan appeared for the prosecution.Former DySPs Safiyulla Sayed and K. Satheesan, and former Inspector M.J. Sojan investigated the case.Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham said the public could report corruption through the department’s toll-free number 1064, phone number 8592900900 or WhatsApp number 9447789100. Published - October 31, 2026 08:33 pm IST