Calcutta University (CU) was left in a spot on Friday after a scam involving a sum of Rs 938 came to light, pitting detectives and campus authorities against a host of uncomfortable questions.

Detectives from Jorasanko police station visited the College Street campus on a complaint from university registrar Ujjwal Kumar Basu, that “an unknown person” had withdrawn, on June 3, the remuneration — Rs 938 — due to an examiner, by signing a payment voucher across the counter at the university’s cash section.

“The amount is small, but the incident proves how easily a crook can penetrate the money management system at the university,” said Timir Bhattacharya, officer-in-charge of Jorasanko police station.

Central to the incident is Mahadeb Mondal, a lecturer at Rishra Bidhan Chandra College, who found, on June 3, after presenting himself at the university’s cash office, that the remuneration due to him for examining the answer-scripts of business management and statistics (general), had already been withdrawn by someone impersonating him.

“I was shocked when the cashier told me I had already withdrawn the sum. He even showed me the voucher with a forged signature,” Mondal told Metro.

Mondal took up the matter with the CU authorities, who conducted an internal probe and decided to hand the case over to the police.

“We have reasons to believe that the money has been withdrawn by someone who forged Mondal’s signature, on the voucher (No. C530/2/3/04),” Basu informed the police.

Neither Basu nor the police have any clear idea about how the money was withdrawn on the strength of a false signature or whether a gang had executed the job with help from insiders. “We have no strong leads so far,” admitted a CU official.

According to the rules, Mondal signed the voucher and submitted it along with the answer-scripts to the head-examiner.

“While withdrawing the money, the imposter copied Mondal’s signature after examining the original one minutely,” said an officer of Jorasanko police station.

Police, however, suspect an insider’s role in the incident. Besides, several lapses were also found in the cash department.

“Withdrawing money by forging a signature is one of the easiest jobs. After receiving the voucher from the counter, there is enough time for observing the signature and copying it. The clerk at the counter does not match the signature minutely,” said an officer.

“But ideally, the remuneration receiver should be asked to sign on the voucher in front of the cashier and the signature should be matched thoroughly before the cash is handed over,” he added.

Elaborating on an insider’s role, an officer said: “It is not possible for an outsider to know the lapses of the cash section and the process of receiving remuneration. Someone who knows all these loopholes must have played a key role in the incident.”