Jubilee Hills resident loses Rs 4 crores in fake mid-day meal contract scheme; one held

Hyderabad: A person was arrested for creating fake GOs (government orders) and cheating people in the name of providing contracts for supplying the mid-meal scheme for the Telangana State government. The mid-day meal scheme is about providing free healthy breakfast and lunch daily for the government school children in the state.

The accused identified as Arvind Alishetty is said to have cheated many by making fake GOs under the name of working in BRS party. He made people believe that they were awarded the contract and collected crores.

The scam came to light when one of the victims Bollineni Dhanush Srinivas, a resident of Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, filed a police complaint about Arvind cheating him off money by promising to get him the contract for supplying for the mid-day meal scheme.

Fake government documents

According to the complaint, Dhanush Srinivas is an aged businessperson staying at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. He met Arvind Alishetty through his brother, Bollineni Karthik when Arvind visited the complainant’s home in December 2021.

During their talk, Arvind expressed intentions to monetise the mid-meal scheme in Telangana. He proposed a business plan involving the supply of agro commodities to the Telangana State government.

"He continued visiting Dhanush to discuss the plan, leading the complainant to believe in the legitimacy of the promised business opportunity. Arvind convinced the complainant by presenting purported government documents, indicating progress in the project. Under the guise of facilitating the venture, He also insisted that all payments be made only to him. On his suggestion, the complainant gave Arvind Rs 50,00,000 on February 16, 2022, at his residence in Jubilee Hills, for which he provided a cash receipt,” the police said, as per the details of the complaint.

Took money to ‘influence’ politicians, officials

Since then, Arvind Alishetty regularly approached the complainant by providing several documents relating to the mid-meal scheme (Dry Ration Kit) and he pressured the complainant into making payments totalling Rs 4 crores, citing the need to influence politicians and officials.

Despite Arvind Alishetty’s promises, the project turned out to be non-existent, and the documents shown were forged. Suspecting foul play, the complainant requested a meeting with the officials at ITC Kohinoor, Gachibowli, and soon discovered the deception.

In July 2023, Arvind Alishetty admitted the project’s failure, pledging to either secure an alternative opportunity or return the funds by January 31, 2024.

However, Arvind Alishetty failed to fulfil his commitment, and the complainant, after verifying the GOs and authenticity of the other documents, realised that those documents were fabricated and forged. In October 2023, the accused acknowledged the debt in writing but has yet to return any amount.

The complainant accused Arvind Alishetty of deceptive practices, forgery, and misuse of political and government officials’ names for personal gain. Dhanush seeks restitution for the Rs 4 crores he gave to Arvind and alleges that Arvind Alishetty is a habitual cheat and a fraudulent individual who damaged the complainant’s reputation and caused financial loss through dishonest means.

The complainant requested legal action against Arvind Alishetty as per the law. A case has been registered and the investigation is on.