Patna: A senior cashier at AIIMS Patna has been arrested on charges of embezzling nearly Rs 43 lakh in public funds, following an internal audit that uncovered significant discrepancies in the hospital’s cash records.
The accused, 39-year-old Anurag Aman, who served as the institute’s chief cashier, was taken into custody by police and sent to judicial custody after an FIR was registered at Phulwarisharif police station on January 7. AIIMS Patna had earlier suspended Aman with immediate effect, relieving him of all financial responsibilities pending investigation.
According to hospital officials, Aman is alleged to have siphoned off Rs 42.99 lakh from cash receipts collected by the hospital and deposited the money into multiple bank accounts held in his wife’s name. The alleged irregularities came to light after a reconciliation exercise revealed a mismatch between cash received and amounts deposited in the bank between April 1 and December 31, 2025.
The hospital’s finance and accounts department, alerted by a report received on January 5, identified a shortfall of approximately Rs 44.5 lakh. Acting on the findings, a surprise physical verification of the cash vault was conducted on January 4, 2026, in the presence of security personnel.
Officials said the vault contained only Rs 1,51,280 in cash, excluding coins, against an expected balance of Rs 42,98,720, confirming a substantial deficit. During questioning, Aman, who was responsible for safeguarding the vault and depositing cash into bank accounts, reportedly admitted to withdrawing the missing amount.
In a written statement dated January 5, Aman allegedly confessed to depositing the withdrawn cash into his wife’s bank accounts over multiple transactions. Based on a complaint filed by senior administrative officer Raj Kumar Jalan, police registered a case under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including sections related to criminal breach of trust and misappropriation.
Police said the arrest was made promptly after the registration of the case. Aman, a resident of Darbhanga district, is the son of Ram Kumar. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.
