Kerala Village Officer Arrested for Diverting ₹51 Lakh in Beneficiary Funds

A village officer in Kerala's Seethathode panchayat was arrested for embezzling over ₹51 lakh in government beneficiary funds by diverting money to relatives' accounts and lying to recipients that funds were unavailable. The officer, M.R. Rani Lakshmi, misappropriated funds from schemes like LIFE Mission between December 2024 and February 2026, transferring money to accounts of relatives and friends while telling beneficiaries the government share had not arrived. Panchayat members and officials allegedly ignored complaints despite knowing funds had been released. Lakshmi, who also worked at Thannithode and Aruvappulam panchayats, was arrested by Konni police after going into hiding. Authorities suspect the scam's scale will grow as more financial transactions are examined, with accomplices likely to face legal action.