Kolkata, Dec 13 The foundation run by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday alleged that a QR code created to collect donations for a proposed Babri Masjid-style mosque in Murshidabad district in West Bengal has been misused by unidentified persons.
Kabir’s West Bengal Islamic Foundation of India claimed that a fraud was committed using a duplicate QR code. It said it had lodged a complaint with the West Bengal Police's cybercrime unit.
Aminul Sheikh, joint treasurer of the foundation, lodged a complaint with the Berhampore Cyber Crime Police against three unidentified individuals. The police registered a case under Sections 336(3), 338, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and initiated an investigation into the incident.
According to the complaint, the accused allegedly duplicated the trust’s details and generated a fake QR code to divert donations. Sheikh further alleged that funds were being collected fraudulently through this duplicate code.
Speaking to reporters, the Bharatpur MLA alleged that TMC MLA Rabiul Alam Chowdhury of Rejinagar was behind the alleged fraud.
“My foundation has filed a complaint with the cybercrime unit. I have found out who did it. Rabiul Alam Chowdhury’s supporters did it. It would be good if the police take action, otherwise I have the power to take action myself. I will take appropriate action. I will not spare the bank where the money went either,” the TMC rebel leader warned.
Responding to the allegations, Chowdhury denied any involvement and questioned Kabir’s claims. “Whether it was my people or someone else, we want him to prove who committed the fraud. Then we will also know. So far, he is making baseless allegations against me,” he claimed.
It may be noted that around Rs 3.50 crore has already been collected for the proposed mosque project promoted by Kabir. Manual counting of cash donations, stored in 11 trunks, was completed on Wednesday night. In addition, online donations were deposited into the designated bank account of the trust through QR code payments. It is this QR code that the foundation has alleged was misused.
The controversy surrounding Kabir began last week after he announced plans to lay the foundation stone of a Babri Masjid-style mosque at Beldanga in Murshidabad district. On December 4, the TMC suspended Kabir for what it described as anti-party activities. Despite the suspension, Kabir went ahead with the mosque plan and laid the foundation stone on December 6.
Kabir has said construction of the mosque will begin in the first week of February in Beldanga. He also said that the Quran would be recited by one lakh people a day before construction commences.
Meanwhile, a public interest litigation was filed in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday seeking directions to stop the construction of the mosque. The matter is likely to be heard next week.
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