Bengaluru Two separate cases of fake government orders issued in the name of senior officials have been registered in one week, the Vidhana Soudha police said on Sunday.
According to people familiar with the matter, the proliferation of fake government orders has emerged as a pressing concern as there is a surge in counterfeit documents circulating in the name of senior officials.
A complaint filed on March 25 stated that there were attempts by a construction contractor to illicitly obtain contracts. The police said that the suspects fabricated government orders attributed to the Secretary of the Wakf Board and created a fake document bearing the name of the state minority welfare secretary while endorsing the development of minority colony infrastructure in Doddaballapur assembly constituency.
The police stated that the contractor had submitted a fake letter to the Bengaluru rural deputy commissioner’s office to obtain a contract worth ₹4 crore. However, the staff of deputy commissioner’s office grew suspicious and sent a letter to the Waqf Board for verification, they said.
Following this, state waqf board secretary Nagaraj filed a complaint against the alleged perpetrator, identified himself as Nikhil, who had submitted the fraudulent order to the DC’s office.
In another case filed on March 28, the police registered charges against fraudsters for creating fake order copies pertaining to the recruitment of NHMs (National Health Missions) on an outsourced basis in the health and family department. The police said that investigations revealed the perpetrators sent counterfeit order copies to both the finance department and the health and family welfare department, directing both government department secretaries to take appropriate action to regularise NHM workers who work on a contract basis.
{{/usCountry}}In another case filed on March 28, the police registered charges against fraudsters for creating fake order copies pertaining to the recruitment of NHMs (National Health Missions) on an outsourced basis in the health and family department. The police said that investigations revealed the perpetrators sent counterfeit order copies to both the finance department and the health and family welfare department, directing both government department secretaries to take appropriate action to regularise NHM workers who work on a contract basis.
{{/usCountry}}After the incident came to light upon verifying the authenticity of the letter, chief minister’s secretary Siddesh Pothalakatti filed a complaint with the Vidhana Soudha police.
Vidhana Soudha police inspector B Kumara Swamy said, “We have registered both cases under IPC Sections 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (fraud), 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of a court record), and 471 (using a forged document as genuine).”
“In the first case, middlemen might collect money from workers promising to regularize employment; in the second case, the contractor created a fake letter to obtain a tender contract. The investigation is underway, and we will initiate stringent action,” he added.