BHUBANESWAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Thursday registered a case against three officials, including a senior manager, of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Koraput, on the charge of misappropriation of public money, the agency said in a statement here.

The case was registered under various sections of the IPC, including 120(B), 409, 420, 467, 468 and 471, and section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) on a complaint from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited against a senior manager (Finance), Engine Division, Koraput, Odisha, an assistant (Finance/Accounts) and a job contract labourer officer, Finance Department, and five other private persons, it said.

It was alleged that the eight accused, including the three officials, entered into a criminal conspiracy and misappropriated an amount of about Rs 5.01 crore of HAL by fraudulently transferring the money to the accounts of private contractors and unknown others without any supporting documents during the period between January 2018 and August 2018, the statement said.

The case was registered following searches conducted at the office/residential premises of the accused which led to the recovery of incriminating documents/articles, it added.