Bihar: Gang arrested for cheating in the name of govt scheme, property worth crores recovered
The gang allegedly defrauded women by posing as members of an NGO and promising benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
The arrests were made following a tip-off that during photo collection for the housing scheme, women were being asked to remove their jewellery, raising suspicions. Acting swiftly, Jalalpur police raided a village in the area and detained two suspects for questioning.
During interrogation, the accused - who are siblings - confessed to being part of a cheating and fraud gang. They revealed that they impersonated NGO workers and lured women by promising approval of PMAY benefits and loans. Under the pretext of taking their photographs to verify their poverty status, they convinced the victims to remove their jewellery. Once they got an opportunity, they fled with the valuables.
The duo admitted to committing similar crimes in multiple police station jurisdictions, including: Jalalpur Police Station (Case No. 67/25 and 101/25), Avatarnagar Police Station (Case No. 130/25), Madhaura Police Station (Case No. 489/25), and Gadkha Police Station (Case No. 411/28).
Following this confession, a special police team was formed, leading to a series of raids. The operation resulted in the recovery of 808.31 grams of gold jewellery, 1060.10 grams of silver jewellery, and Rs 53.30 lakh in cash - assets accumulated through their criminal activities.
All seized property falls under the category of illegal assets acquired through criminal activity and is subject to confiscation under Section 107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The court has taken cognisance, and proceedings for confiscation have begun.
The accused, Rakesh Kumar and Mukesh Kumar, sons of Shivnath Ram, and residents of Nakash Chowk, Vaishali district, have been formally arrested, and further legal action is underway.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Saran, Kumar Ashish, praised the investigation team and confirmed they would be rewarded for their efforts. He also appealed to the public: "I urge all mothers, sisters, and citizens to remain cautious. Do not fall into the trap of such gangs. If you encounter such individuals, immediately inform the local police or dial 112. Stay alert, stay safe."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
35 minutes ago
- News18
Couple Find Surrogate Baby's DNA Not Linked To Them, Doctor Arrested In Major Surrogacy Racket
Last Updated: An illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket was busted in Hyderabad with the arrest of at least 10 people, including a doctor. A major illegal surrogacy and sperm trafficking racket has unravelled in the twin city of Hyderabad-Secunderabad. The Hyderabad police raided a fertility centre in Regimental Bazaar after a couple found out that the DNA of their child, born through surrogacy catered by the fertility centre, does not match with them. Police have arrested at least 10 persons in connection with the case, including a doctor. The accused, Dr Namrata, is the manager of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Regimental Bazaar. As per the police, the accused used to target vulnerable women, particularly those seeking abortions, and lured them into continuing pregnancies in exchange for money and other reasons. The newborns were handed over to the couple who had approached the clinic for surrogacy. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone-Hyderabad) S Rashmi Perumal said people were misled by the clinic into believing the babies were biologically theirs. Charged Rs 35 Lakh For Surrogacy The couple who approached the police stated that they had approached the fertility clinic in August 2024 for fertility and IVF consultation. Dr Namratha conducted their fertility-related tests and advised them to go for surrogacy. The DCP told PTI that the couple was directed to another branch of the clinic at Visakhapatnam for collection of specimens and were told that the surrogate would be arranged by the clinic and the embryo would be transplanted to the surrogate. Over the course of nine months, the couple made several payments to the clinic. In June this year, the complainant was informed that the surrogate had delivered a baby boy via C-section in Visakhapatnam. Overall, the clinic took over Rs 35 lakh from the couple as consultation charges for the procedures, police said. The baby boy and a 'false" birth certificate document were given to the couple. When the couple tried to get in touch with the clinic they were refused any documentation and were threatened, which prompted them to approach the police, the senior police official said. Illegal Rackets Operated Across Multiple Locations Based on the complaint, a detailed investigation was conducted on Saturday which revealed that Dr Namratha was allegedly conducting a large-scale illegal surrogacy and fertility 'scam". The main accused operated fertility centers in Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Kondapur, police said. Over the years, she expanded into unethical and illegal practices, collecting Rs 20-Rs 30 lakh from each client under false promises, police said. With the help of the medical department, the clinic at Gopalapuram in Hyderabad was sealed, police said. The Medical and Health Department had cancelled the registration of the involved fertility clinic previously, but the accused continued to operate from the building and put the name of another certified doctor on the official letterheads of the clinic. view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 07:34 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Print
39 minutes ago
- The Print
Haridwar: Stampede at Mansa Devi temple claims 6 lives, injures 28; magisterial probe ordered
The officer added that 34 people were rushed to a hospital of which six died. Rumours of an electricity current where the stairs begin triggered panic among people, leading to the stampede, Haridwar's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Singh Dobal told PTI Videos. Haridwar, Jul 27 (PTI) A stampede broke out during a rush of pilgrims along a stair route leading to the Mansa Devi temple on a hilltop in Haridwar on Sunday, killing at least six people and leaving 28 injured, police said. The incident took place around 9 am. Being a Sunday, a sea of devotees had gathered at the temple atop the Shivalik hills at a height of more than 500 feet. Videos from the spot showed a massive rush of people, including children and women, towards the narrow entrance of the temple and outside the hospital, and of worried family members waiting for the news of their loved ones. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said a magisterial probe has been ordered into the circumstances leading to the stampede. Haridwar's Additional District Magistrate has been assigned the task of conducting a probe into the incident and submit a report within 15 days making recommendations on how to prevent the recurrence of such happenings in future, District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit said. Speaking to reporters here, CM Dhami said, 'A stampede broke out at the Mansa Devi temple in the morning because of a rumour…. We have ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and those responsible for spreading the rumour will face strict action.' The chief minister later visited the district hospital in Haridwar where most of the injured were admitted and went from bed to bed asking them about their well being. He assured the relatives attending them of all support from the government. Dhami also announced a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased persons and Rs 50,000 to the injured. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the political leaders who expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede. President Murmu, In a post on X in hindi, said 'The news of the deaths of many devotees in a stampede on the way to the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar is deeply painful. I express my heartfelt condolences to all the grieving families. I pray that all the injured devotees recover quickly.' PM Modi, in a post on X, said 'Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.' Disaster Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman in Dehradun of the total injured in the stampede, five have been referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh for better treatment. According to the officials, those killed in the tragic incident have been identified as Arush (12), Shakal Dev (18), Vicky (18), Vipin (18), Vakil and Shanti — age of both have not been specified yet. 'The priority as of now is the rapid recovery of those injured in the stampede,' Garhwal Commissioner Vnay Shankar Pandey told reporters. Haridwar SSP Doval said that a rumor of electric current suddenly spread near the stairs about 100 meters below the temple and prima facie this caused the stampede. However, he said, a detailed investigation of the incident is being done. An injured devotee, Nirmala who is admitted at the government hospital, said the stampede happened as the horde of people going up and those hurrying downwards choked the narrow passage. 'People coming back from the temple pushed those climbing upwards and then people began falling over each other. Nothing could be seen because of the crowd. I kept lying down,' she said from her bed at the hospital. Locals said if the administration had been a little cautious, considering the possibility of a huge crowd coming to the Mansa Devi temple, the accident could have been avoided. Video clips of the stampede showed a huge crowd of men, women and children stuck in a narrow passage leading to the temple. Dozens of people, seemingly glued to each other and hardly moving, could only manage to hold the children above their heads. The temple, dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, is one of the five sacred sites or 'Panch Tirthas' of Haridwar. Prime facie, it appears that the stampede broke out following a rumour that electricity was running through broken wires, District Magistrate Dikshit told reporters in Haridwar. Some broken wires were found at the site, suggesting that some people tried to climb up the stairs to the temple by clutching at those, he said. Search operations continued to find any victims hidden among the bushes and a ditch along the route where the stampede occurred. The roads and bushes on the surrounding hills were being scoured by the SDRF personnel as a precautionary measure, Haridwar Kotwali police station incharge Ritesh Shah said. He also said that closure of the route half an hour before the stampede prevented a bigger tragedy. People were stopped from going on the staircase half an hour before the accident in the morning as the crowd was too big, Shah said if this had not been done, the accident could have been bigger. PTI ALM NB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
42 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Opposition alleges Rs 70,000 crore scam as CAG flags accounting lapses in poll-bound Bihar
Just months ahead of the upcoming Assembly election in Bihar, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has flagged massive accounting lapses in the state's finances. The CAG has reported that as of March 31, 2024, as many as 49,649 Utilisation Certificates (UCs) — documents that confirm that allocated resources were utilised for the intended purpose — amounting to Rs 70,877.61 crore, had not been submitted to the Accountant General (Accounts and Entitlements) of Bihar. The findings have come as fresh ammunition for the Opposition. Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said in a social media post, 'Thanks to Modi-Nitish, a scam of Rs 70,000 crore has taken place in Bihar. The CAG has unearthed the theft. No work was seen, but the entire expenditure was made… Modi-Nitish made history by committing a Rs 70,000 crore scam. Just like the Srijan scam, now efforts to manage this from Delhi to Patna have intensified.' According to the CAG's State Finances Audit Report for 2023-24, the non-submission of UCs violates Rule 271(e) of the Bihar Treasury Code that requires departments to submit the documents within 18 months of the financial year in which the grant is released. The report notes that the Bihar government 'did not comply' with the national accounting standards of IGAS-1, IGAS-2, and IGAS-3. The auditing body suspects that nearly Rs 70,878 crore of budgeted money has no audit clearance, and raised serious risk of fraud. 'In the absence of UCs, there is no assurance that funds disbursed have been used for the intended purpose,' the report said, adding that this level of pendency is 'fraught with the risk of embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of funds'. The report's year-wise data shows that Rs 14,452.38 crore worth of these pending UCs relate to grants issued up to 2016-17. In 2017-18, the pending UCs amounted to Rs 3,746.64 crore; to Rs 5,870.67 crore in 2018-19; Rs 17,980.24 crore in 2019-20 and 2020-21; Rs 16,014.34 crore in 2021-22; and Rs 12,813.34 in 2022–23. The pending UCs are heavily concentrated in a few departments, the CAG report revealed, indicating that five departments account for the majority of the unverified expenditure. The largest default is in the Panchayati Raj Department, with UCs worth Rs 28,154.10 crore pending, the report said. This is followed by the Education Department (Rs 12,623.67 crore), Urban Development and Housing Department (Rs 11,065.50 crore), Rural Development Department (Rs 7,800.48 crore), and Agriculture Department (Rs 2,107.63 crore). In addition to department-level grants, the CAG also found that large sums of grants to local bodies remained unverified. As per the CAG, as of March 31, 2024, utilisation certificates were pending for Rs 4,277.22 crore given to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Rs 2,221.83 crore given to Rural Local Bodies under various central and state schemes, including 15th Finance Commission grants. The report also highlighted significant pendency in the submission of Detailed Contingent (DC) bills against Abstract Contingent (AC) bills. AC bills are required to draw advances by departments, and rules mandate that a department submitting an AC bill to withdraw cash must finalise the accounts by submitting a DC bill within six months. However, as on March 31, 2024, the report showed massive non-compliance, as Rs 9,205.76 crore was drawn in advance payments through 22,130 AC bills, but its expense details through DC bills were not submitted. Of this, Rs 5,577.91 crore (60.60%) pertained to advances drawn for the 'creation of Capital Assets', including major schemes under road works, education, health, rural development, etc. The CAG further noted that 1,648 AC bills, totalling Rs 1,041.12 crore, were drawn in March 2024 alone, indicating a 'rush' to exhaust budgets at the end of the financial year. The audit said that this pattern of drawing money late in the year and not reconciling it 'indicates poor public expenditure management'. 'The non-submission of DC bills within the prescribed period breaches financial discipline and enhances the risk of misappropriation of public money,' the report warned. The CAG also pointed to issues highlighting systemic lapses in financial reporting with classification of expenditure, particularly under grants-in-aid. It observed that 59.95% of the total budgeted grants-in-aid of Rs 77,600.47 crore disbursed during 2023-24 were lumped under the category, 'Others', without clearly identifying the institutions or schemes to which the funds were released. The CAG noted that without proper institutional codes, 'the amounts outstanding against all institutions could not be worked out.' This, it said, is a gap that 'affected the transparency of accounts'. The CAG also flagged significant parking of funds under the Deposit of Local Funds. According to the CAG report, funds budgeted as grants to local bodies and municipal bodies were transferred there, but never spent. Over 2019-24, the balance in these accounts swelled to Rs 30,017.64 crore. 'This amount has been shown as Revenue or Capital Expenditure in the respective years but is lying unspent in the deposit head,' the report says. It observes that this practice overstates actual expenditure, and further mentions that the 'reason for transfer of funds for parking in Deposit of Local Fund Head of Account were awaited'. The CAG also noted that internal audit mechanisms in departments were either weak or non-functional, and several previous audit recommendations had not been acted upon. It observed that delays in submission of audit replies and lack of timely action 'defeated the very purpose of the audit'. The CAG said that the combination of the issues of missing UCs, unreconciled advances, off-book deposits and generic accounting entries 'indicate lack of internal controls in the administrative departments'.
