Gangtok, July 22: Sikkim Police on Tuesday night arrested two men, Mahesh Rai and Albert Gurung, in connection with the alleged alteration and circulation of an internal official communication that falsely projected a routine accounting adjustment as a shortage of funds for payment of government salaries.
According to a press release issued by the Crime Branch-CID, Police Headquarters, the two accused were arrested at 9:26 pm on July 21 within Pakyong district jurisdiction, in execution of Non-Bailable Warrants issued by the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gangtok. Mahesh Rai is a resident of Lower Polok, Borong, Ravangla, in Namchi district, while Albert Gurung hails from Chujachen, Rongli, in Pakyong district.
The arrests were made in CID Police Station Case No. 03/2026, registered on July 12 under Sections 353, 336, 340 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, read with Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The provisions relate to circulating false information likely to cause public alarm, forgery of electronic records, using forged records as genuine, criminal conspiracy, and cheating by personation using a computer resource.
The case stems from a written complaint filed by personnel of the Accounts Branch, Sikkim Police Headquarters. Police stated that on July 9, administrative directions concerning a routine accounting adjustment for the timely preparation of salary bills were shared through an internal WhatsApp group meant exclusively for accounts personnel posted across various branches and units of Sikkim Police.
The accused allegedly obtained access to the contents of this internal communication through their sources. The message, police said, was then removed from its proper technical and administrative context, materially altered, and supplemented with statements attributed to the Finance Department that did not form part of the original communication.
The altered version was allegedly circulated on social media in a manner that portrayed the routine adjustment as a shortage of funds for salary payments, creating what police described as a false and misleading narrative capable of causing unnecessary public concern and instigating misunderstanding and indiscipline among government personnel.
Detailing the procedure followed, the press release stated that both accused were first served notices under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, directing them to appear before the Investigating Officer. When they failed to comply, second notices were served on each of them. The accused again did not appear and instead sent replies declining compliance, contending that the penal provisions invoked did not apply to their conduct.
Following the repeated non-compliance, the Investigating Officer moved the court on July 20 seeking Non-Bailable Warrants, which the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gangtok, issued after considering the application.
Police stated that the arrests were carried out strictly in accordance with law, with separate arrest memos prepared for each accused. Both were informed of the grounds of arrest and their legal rights, their relatives were duly notified, and the prescribed medical and other arrest-related formalities were completed.
The investigation remains ongoing. Digital and documentary evidence is being examined to establish the origin, alteration and electronic circulation of the communication, and to ascertain whether any other persons were involved.
In its advisory, Sikkim Police urged members of the public and social media users to verify information through authorised sources before publishing or forwarding material concerning official or sensitive administrative matters, cautioning that unauthorised alteration or misleading circulation of official electronic communications may attract legal action.
The press release, issued by DIGP Gangtok Range and CB-CID Tenzing Loden Lepcha, IPS, Principal Official Spokesperson, Sikkim Police Headquarters, noted that the allegations remain subject to investigation and adjudication by the competent court.
