Ahmedabad, Oct 28 A conman in Gujarat's Chhota Udepur district was arrested for allegedly establishing a fraudulent government office and posing as a government official to secure government funds amounting to over Rs 4 crore.
From July 26, 2021, and October 25, 2023, he has allegedly taken over Rs 4 crore for a total of 93 projects. All these projects have received approval from the office of the former project administrator of the district.
The revelation came to light on October 25, prompting the arrest of the prime suspect, Sandeep Rajput, and his alleged accomplice, Abu-Bakr Saiyyad, a government contractor. Both individuals have been remanded to 12 days in police custody, officials said.
Rajput allegedly masqueraded as an executive engineer within the fictitious 'Irrigation Project Division' in Bodeli, resorting to counterfeit government seals and forged signatures to engage with various government departments, according to an FIR lodged at Chhota Udepur police station.
Under the guise of the 'Executive Engineer, Irrigation Project Division, Bodeli,' substantial sums of government grants were disbursed to Rajput, primarily through e-payment, in multiple installments.
The FIR also said that the sham department was conceived with the complicity of former or current officers or employees of the department, who seemingly turned a blind eye to the activities transpiring under the fraudulent banner.
The unfolding of the scam transpired when the current project administrator raised questions about 12 pending grant applications, collectively seeking more than Rs 3 crore in disbursements.
The FIR was lodged by Javid Ibrahim Mankojiya, a junior clerk in the project administrator's office of Chhota Udepur district.
Subsequent inquiries revealed that the conman had successfully obtained government grants totaling Rs 1.98 crore for 40 projects in 2021-2022. These projects encompassed various domains, including the Gujarat Pattern Yojana, all of which received approval from the former project administrator, V.C Gamit.
Both Rajput and Saiyyad have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to impersonation, cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
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