Sundernagar accountant lands in police net for forging seals & signatures of CAs
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MANDI: An FIR has been lodged at the Sundernagar police station in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh against an accountant accused of forging official documents by unlawfully replicating seals and signatures of chartered accountants (CAs).
The serious violation, which involved unauthorised CA certifications in government tenders, recently came to light and has shocked the local business community.
The accused accountant, who had successfully evaded authorities for an extended period, was apprehended with the assistance of local CAs. Initial investigations have revealed that he was involved in filing e-tenders for government contracts on behalf of small contractors, using falsified CA certifications.
The forged documents bore the seals and signatures of multiple chartered accountants, a requirement legally reserved for authorised professionals only.
The accountant is alleged to have facilitated the submission of these documents without any genuine CA involvement, exposing a significant lapse in document authenticity within local government tender processes.
A further inquiry has revealed that the accountant also embezzled funds entrusted to him by contractors, intended for tender applications.
Instead of directing these funds appropriately, he is accused of investing them in cryptocurrency without informing or obtaining consent from the contractors.
This misappropriation of funds has added another layer of legal complexity to the case and raised concerns about transparency and financial accountability in tender processing.
The Himachal Pradesh Branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has praised the vigilance and commitment of its members in uncovering this malpractice.
The incident, which underscores the need for greater regulatory oversight, has renewed ICAI’s appeal for state-wide implementation of the Unique Document Identification Number (UDIN) system.
Speaking to TNR, CA Naresh Vashisht, Chairman of the ICAI Himachal Pradesh Branch, emphasised the importance of UDIN verification in preventing similar incidents. UDIN, a system created by ICAI, enables verification of documents authenticated by CAs, providing a secure method to validate signatures and stamps and prevent forgery.
“We have repeatedly urged the state government to mandate UDIN verification for all official documents certified by Chartered Accountants.
This incident at Sundernagar serves as a pressing reminder of the need for strict UDIN verification in tender processes involving CA-certified documents,” stated CA Vashisht.
The ICAI Himachal Pradesh Branch had previously submitted a formal request to the government, calling for mandatory UDIN verification in all official tenders. However, according to CA Vashisht, no significant action has been taken to date.
The ICAI Himachal Pradesh Branch reiterates its appeal to state departments to implement UDIN verification across all documents certified by Chartered Accountants.
Enforcing UDIN verification would serve as a vital safeguard, preserving document integrity and reinforcing public confidence in the accounting profession.
