CMRF fraud: Two more fake beneficiaries held for withdrawing Rs 8.71 lakh

Hyderabad:Jubilee Hills Police have arrested two fake beneficiaries who withdrew Rs 8.71 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) through fraudulent means.

The accused have been identified as Pagadala Srinivasa Rao, 23, and Yasa Venkateshwarulu, 50. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to 13.

Fraudulent deposits and misappropriation

Police said the accused fraudulently deposited sanctioned CMRF cheques into their accounts and withdrew the funds.

Acting in collusion, they misappropriated the sanctioned relief amounts for personal gain, cheating the government and depriving genuine beneficiaries.

Accused confess to crimes

The arrested individuals, who hail from Khammam district, voluntarily admitted their involvement in the offences. They were produced before a court for judicial remand.

Earlier arrests

On September 19, seven other fake beneficiaries, including two women from Godavarikhani in Pedapally district, were arrested. These individuals had posed as genuine applicants to fraudulently obtain CMRF funds.

The cases were booked under Sections 409, 417, 419, 467, and 120(B) of the IPC and Section 66(C) of the IT Act, according to K Venkateshwara Reddy, Station House Officer of Jubilee Hills Police Station.

Background of the scam

In July, four more accused—Jogula Naresh Kumar (42), Balagoni Venkatesh (37), Korlapati Vamshi (24), and Pulipaka Omkar (34)—were arrested.

Investigations revealed that Naresh Kumar, formerly employed in a minister’s office, allegedly took possession of 230 sanctioned but undistributed CMRF cheques after the 2023 Assembly elections.

Nineteen cheques were deposited into forged accounts at the SBI branch on Road No. 5, Jubilee Hills, using fake details.

Police continue the investigation

Authorities are reviewing remaining CMRF cheques and intensifying the probe into the network behind the fraud. Police have assured strict action against anyone attempting to exploit relief funds intended for genuine beneficiaries.