6 cases of fraud in Ladki Bahin Yojana filed across state: CM

Fadnavis also said that the home department had released advisories on social media to create awareness about cyber frauds

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the home department, on Tuesday informed the legislative assembly that six criminal cases pertaining to fraud in the Ladki Bahin Yojana have been registered in the state. Two of the cases were registered in Mumbai, two in Solapur and one each in Satara and Nanded districts, the chief minister informed the assembly in a written response to questions raised by 10 legislators across party lines.

(HT Photo)

In April, the Mankhurd police registered a first information report (FIR) against five persons who allegedly used documents submitted by 65 women towards enrolment in the Ladki Bahin scheme to secure a loan in their name from Bajaj Finance. All five accused in the case have been arrested, Fadnavis said.

In the case registered by Juhu police in February, a certain Pratik Patel allegedly ‘purchased’ 104 bank accounts of women enrolled under the Ladki Bahin scheme to avail the ₹1,500 per month dole each woman was receiving under the scheme. The bank accounts were purchased for ₹1,000 each and the police have withheld payouts worth ₹19,43,779 after the case was registered, Fadnavis told the assembly. The accused Pratik Patel was still at large, he noted.

Fadnavis also said that the home department had released advisories on social media to create awareness about cyber frauds.

“Various branches of the police force have been given training in handling cyber crime cases using modern technology. Apart from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, the state home department has set up 50 cyber police stations including five in Mumbai,” said the written response from Fadnavis.